Mom nabbed for faking kidnapping

Authorities have warned the public anew against falling prey to “kidnap-me” schemes after a woman pretended that she and her four-year-old son were kidnapped to get P100,000 from the boy’s father.

The “victims” were eventually rescued after the woman received the ransom through wire money transfer. However, she did not count on her son telling the police the truth.

“The son said they were together the whole time and that they even went to Manila Zoo, and that no one abducted them,” Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) head Senior Supt. Roberto Fajardo told reporters in Camp Crame on Monday.

Initial reports reaching the AKG showed that the young mother and her son were reported missing by their relatives on Friday. The boy’s father then received a text message demanding P100,000 for the release of the “victims.”

Fajardo said police operatives later arrested a woman, who turned out to be the mother of the boy, as she was withdrawing the ransom at a mall in Makati City.–With Kathrina Pineda, trainee