CEBU, Philippines – A 79-year-old woman lost more than P300,000 to unidentified man whom she befriended Friday afternoon in Barangay Talamban, Cebu City.
Victoria Bingtan, of Barangay Paril, Cebu City, reported the incident to the police after the man disappeared with her money.
The victim said she went to a pharmacy near San Isidro Parish School to buy her maintenance medicine. Since some of the medicine she needed was out of stock she went to another pharmacy across the street.
Bingtan said the man who stands 5’4”, wearing gray jacket, blue jeans, and white shoes helped her cross the street. While crossing the street, the man told the victim that he knew of a faith healer nearby who could help cure her ailment.
The suspect was able to convince the victim to withdraw her money and even drove her to the bank in Maguikay, Mandaue City. The police were able to secure a copy of the security footage from the bank showing the suspect accompanying the victim.
According to the victim, the man brought her back to Talamban and told her to wait while he will talk to the faith healer. The suspect convinced her to give him the money so the faith healer could bless it.
“Ari lang sa ka Nay, ako lang sa adto una sa mananambal, unya ako lang ni dad-on imong kwarta pa-blessingan,” the victim recalled the suspect having told her.
The victim waited for several minutes before she finally realized that she had been scammed.
Meanwhile, a 29-year-old man was arrested Friday for using fake online documents to book an accommodation at a resort in Barangay North Poblacion, San Fernando town.
The suspect, Ryan Jay Matbagon Hernan, 29, of Lipata, Minglanilla, showed online booking vouchers worth P156,000 for an 11-day accommodation at Paulo Luna Resort and Spa.
However, the resort management found out from the supposed agent that there was no booking made by Hernan. The suspect was confronted by the resort manager and admitted that he faked his bookings.
He was arrested for estafa and turned over to the police station pending the filing of the complaint. —/FPL (FREEMAN)