CON ARTISTS IN “HONEY LOVE” SCAM NABBED IN BAGUIO CITY
CAMP MAJOR BADO DANGWA, LA TRINIDAD, BENGUET – (May 23, 2021) – An entrapment operation resulted to the arrest of two suspects of a “honey love” scam while claiming the money from their victim in a remittance center at Marcos Highway, Baguio City on May 21, 2021.
The arrest was made following a complaint from a Service woman of the Philippine Navy residing in Dasmarinas City, Cavite and made possible with the joint efforts of personnel of Manila International Airport Police Department, Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit – Cordillera (RACU-COR) and Baguio City Police Office (BCPO).
Based on a report from the Legarda Police Station (PS5), the suspects were identified as WILLIAMS JOHN ANI, 29, Nigerian National pretending to be LUCAS CHAN, a Civil Engineer of South Korea; and INDIRA GEIL VILLANUEVA DUCA, 25, Filipino, pretending to be SHARON, a Korean Service Agent. Both were temporarily residing at Bengao, Marcos Highway, Baguio City.
The Nigerian National posing as “Lucas” allegedly deceived the victim thru chat claiming that he sent her a package containing Apple Laptops, I-phone, watch and cash. Thereafter, the victim received a message saying that the package is already at the airport, but she needs to pay custom clearance amounting to Php 35,000.00.
However, after she paid the said amount to a certain Analiza Fadriga Ellasos thru a bank account, suspect Duca posing as agent “Sharon”, is asking for another amount of Php 145,000.00 to issue a Certificate of Money Laundering, as the package was supposedly detected to be containing dollar bills which is illegal. The victim was threatened to be imprisoned if she will not pay the said amount.
The complainant, already getting suspicious, decided to verify the tracking number of said luggage at the airport and found out that there was no such package sent. She was further informed that it is the typical modus of con artists in “Honey Love” scam using different social media platforms and/or dating apps.
She continued chatting with the suspects and with the assistance of the airport police, the entrapment operation was successfully conducted. The arrested suspects together with the complainant were brought to Chapel Road, NAIA Complex, Pasay City for proper disposition after a blotter report was done in Legarda Police Station (PS5). They will be facing charges of Swindling/ Estafa (Online Scam) to Sec 6 of RA 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. (PROCOR-PIO)
