MANILA police have arrested one of two suspects accused of swindling a car buyer out of P5.5 million by substituting cash with bundles of paper during a transaction.
The victim, who was purchasing a sports car advertised online, met with the suspects, who falsely identified themselves as Bureau of Customs employees, inside a vehicle, according to a report by John Consulta on 24 Oras.
Manila Police District (MPD) Director Brigadier General Thomas Ibay detailed the incident, explaining that the suspects counted the victim’s cash before placing it in a brown envelope.
The suspects then surreptitiously replaced the money with paper. The victim only discovered the scam after failing to contact the suspects and subsequently opening the envelope.
“I was blinded by their offer. Only then did I realize it was too good to be true,” the victim stated.
Using CCTV footage, MPD tracked the suspects to Caloocan City, where they apprehended a 63-year-old man identified as one of the perpetrators. Despite being seen wearing the same cap as in the CCTV footage, the suspect denied any involvement, claiming, “That cap is mine, but I never spoke to the victim. I don’t know anything about counting money.”
Police revealed that the suspect was on probation for illegal possession of fake treasury notes.
Both suspects will face charges of syndicated estafa and theft. Authorities are currently searching for the female accomplice, and the stolen P5.5 million remains unrecovered.
