Game show millionaire falls prey to swindlers

A recent winner of a P1 million contest in a noontime TV game show became P23,000 poorer after he fell victim to a gang of swindlers at a university campus in San Miguel, Manila last Wednesday.

Accompanied by a Channel 7 television crew, Joshua Salao, 24, of Parola Compound, Binondo, Manila went to the Western Police District (WPD) headquarters yesterday to provide the physical features of the three suspects to a police cartographic artist.

Salao, who recently won P1 million in the "Laban o Bawi" portion of Eat Bulaga, told police he lost some P23,000 worth of cash and belongings to con men at the Arellano University along Legarda street, in San Miguel, Manila while enrolling.

Salao said that after winning the P1-million jackpot, he decided to pursue his studies at the said university. He had quit school due to financial difficulties.

The victim narrated that while processing his enrollment papers at the university, he was approached by three men introducing themselves as members of a campus fraternity.

Salao said he was accused by the men as one of the persons who figured in the beating up of one of their fraternity brothers. He was told that the only way to prove his innocence was to go with them to meet the other members.

The suspects also told him to leave his backpack containing his cash and valuables to a man who introduced himself as a university professor.

Salao said he sensed he was being duped when no one approached him at a street corner as agreed upon with the suspects.

He immediately went back to the school campus, but failed to find the man he entrusted with his backpack.

Salao said he lost two cell phones worth P18,100 and P5,000 in cash as well as important documents, including the two bankbooks containing his winnings.

Salao said he would be more cautious in dealing with strangers to protect his remaining winnings. – Nestor Etolle