Woman nabbed for house pawn scam

MANILA, Philippines — A 54-year-old woman was arrested in a sting in Tondo, Manila Monday night after at least 10 persons complained she had duped them of more than P500,000.

Carmencita Padilla, a resident of Pilapil street, reportedly pawned her house to at least 10 persons and promised each creditor that they would get to live there until she finishes paying the loan, police said.

She would later refuse to leave her house, Chief Inspector Rozalino Ibay Jr. of the Manila Police District’s intelligence operations unit said.

Padilla was apprehended after receiving P20,000 from one of her alleged victims during an entrapment operation in a fastfood restaurant.

The sting was set up after at least four complainants went to the police, saying Padilla gypped them of nearly P500,000.

Ibay said it turned out that Padilla had more than 10 complaints against her in the barangay.

Padilla was charged with large-scale estafa and may face charges of falsification of public documents if it is proven that she used fake land titles in her transactions, Ibay said.