Woman nabbed for swindling 700 jobseekers

MANILA, Philippines - An owner of a travel agency was arrested in an entrapment operation Monday by Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) agents for allegedly demanding as much as P15,000 from around 700 people in exchange for non-existent jobs overseas.

Grace Bautista, 34, was arrested by the CIDG’s Manila team in the Raheema Travel and Tours agency, which she owns, at the corner of Mabini and Flores streets in Malate. At least 100 of her 700 alleged victims have filed a complaint against her.

Chief Inspector Carlo Magno Manuel, head of the CIDG Manila team, said the large number of Bautista’s alleged victims was because she went from town to town in Luzon, looking for people who might be interested in landing jobs as housekeepers, hotel receptionists, nurses and drivers in Canada and the United Kingdom.

The complainants said they gave Bautista their money from August to December 2011.

Manuel said Bautista’s alleged victims continued to surface and file charges before the CIDG Manila’s office at the Manila Police District headquarters as of yesterday.