Ex-airline worker using fake IDs to sell fake plane tickets–Avsegroup
Apart from selling fake plane tickets online, a former airline worker is also involved in making bogus IDs to enable his clients to get on domestic flights.
The Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group (PNP-Avsegroup) is still tracking down the ex-employee who conned five persons into buying a Caticlan-bound flight ticket bearing the same name. The scam was only uncovered early this month after five men, each claiming to be “Gregor Alvin Carlos Cruz,” were accosted just as they were about to board an early morning flight to Caticlan in Aklan from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 3.
According to Avsegroup spokesperson, Supt. Jean Panisan, the five passengers showed IDs that were apparently manufactured by the con artist who sold them the airline tickets.
“Based on the investigation of our intelligence division, the passengers were also given IDs, aside from the tickets, to present to the airline counter to get on the flight,” she told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
One of the fake IDs used by one of the five men was a Commission on Elections voter’s card while the others were given bogus company IDs.
Panisan said that while the suspect has deactivated his Facebook account, from where he was able to offer and sell cheap tickets, he could open a different account in the social networking site to continue his illegal activity.
“He lures his victims by selling the tickets at discounted rates. A weekend ticket particularly for a flight to Caticlan costs P5,000. So for a two-way ticket, a passenger would have to shell out P10,000,” the Avsegroup spokesperson said.
“Anybody who comes across an offer of tickets for a weekend getaway at half the price will really bite but the public must be wary of this kind of deals especially when it involves using a fake identity,” Panisan told the Inquirer.
Avsegroup personnel accosted and arrested on May 2 the five men when they tried to board the Caticlan-bound flight at the Naia. They were charged with falsification of commercial documents in the Pasay City prosecutor’s office, which subsequently ordered them released for further investigation. The Avsegroup director, Chief Supt.
Pablo Francisco Balagtas, has since issued a memorandum to his men nationwide to file cases in court against people who might be caught using fake airline tickets. Balagtas had said that he needed to issue the directive to all Avsegroup units because most of them are not aware of their authority to sue persons using fake tickets and continue to rely on the airline firm to press charges. SM
