Job seeker duped

CEBU, Philippines - A woman who was looking for a job yesterday afternoon lost her pocket money and a Chinese gold necklace worth P5,000 to a man who pretended to help her find employment at the Mactan Export Processing Zone in Lapu-Lapu City.

Janeth Sanopao, 25, temporarily living in barangay Basak in Lapu-Lapu City but hails from Guihulngan, Negros Oriental, was standing near the fly-over in barangay Maguikay, Mandaue City when a man approached her and asked if she was looking for a job.

Sanopao, who was bringing a folder with her, said yes.

The man identified himself as Ricky Paras and told her he could help her find work in a company at the MEPZ he being a worker there.

So the man invited her to a restaurant along Hernan Cortes Street and there told her she had to have some documents photo copied and asked if she had P2,000 to pay for uniforms. She said she only had P300.

How about jewelry she could pawn? he asked her. She said she has a necklace which can be pawned for P5,000.

 The man asked for the necklace and told her he will pawn it for her and asked for her pocket money also.

Before he left he told her to wait for him.

Only after hours of waiting did she realize she had been duped.

She went to the police.  - THE FREEMAN