– Woman falls victim to ‘budol-budol’ scam
– Another lady swindled by ‘budol-budol’ syndicate.
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
In a disturbing trend, another woman has been targeted by a “budol-budol” or swindling group in Cebu City, marking the second incident in less than a week. The 23-year-old victim, known only as Annie from Barangay Labangon, reported the incident to dyHP AM radio and the Abellana Police Station 2.
Annie, who works at a restaurant in Robinson’s Cybergate, recounted that the incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. on Monday, May 27, 2024, as she was on her way to deposit money at a bank on Osmeña Boulevard.
As she prepared to cross the street in front of the Department of Health, a middle-aged woman approached her, seeking directions to the Ramirez trucking company and inquiring about car rental options for delivering solar lamps to Lapu-Lapu City. Despite her lack of knowledge on the subject, Annie tried to hurry to her destination.
However, a second woman joined them, claiming to know the location of the trucking company and offering assistance. The middle-aged woman then revealed a pouch containing what appeared to be P50,000 in cash, warning Annie not to open it for fear of being targeted by thieves.
As they crossed the road, the middle-aged woman handed the pouch to Annie and instructed her to wait inside a pawnshop while they searched for the trucking company. The suspects also asked for P23,100 in cash, meant for the bank deposit, to ensure that Annie wouldn’t flee with the money.
Handing over her bag containing IDs and other belongings, Annie was assured by the women that they would return in thirty minutes. However, when they failed to show up, Annie opened the pouch to find only scraps of paper inside, realizing she had been deceived.
Reporting the incident to the Abellana Police Station, Annie was provided with pictures of the Budol-Budol gang members, with the police already having leads on the suspects. This incident comes on the heels of another case on Friday, May 24, 2024, where a 68-year-old retired government employee fell victim to the same swindling group, losing over P700,000 in cash.
The elderly victim, hailing from Barangay Bulacao, Cebu City, sought assistance from a radio station after the heartbreaking loss. She revealed that the money, acquired from her GSIS pension over three years of retirement, was intended for a heart bypass surgery and a pilgrimage to Israel. The authorities are actively investigating both cases to bring the perpetrators to justice.(AYB, TPT)
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“woman loses money to ‘budol-budol’ gang”
“Another woman falls victim to ‘budol-budol’ scam”.
