They never learn: Victims of P120-M scam in Pampanga seek NBI help

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO–At least 30 people duped into putting hard-earned money into a P120-million investment scam in Pampanga province are now seeking help from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to run after the still unidentified woman who lured them into the scheme.

In a meeting with Pampanga Gov. Dennis Pineda on Monday (Aug 5) the victims, from the province’s second district, asked help to file a case of large-scale estafa, a nonbailable offense, against the suspect who failed to pay up starting last week.

The victims claimed they have invested from P1.2 million to P16.5 million since 2016 and were paid interest rates of 5 to 10 percent or higher when they were able to bring new investors.

However, the interest payments stopped coming last July.

They said they trusted the suspect because she is either a co-employer in a water district or a relative.

At Pineda’s request to NBI Central Luzon director Rustico Vigilio, investigators began taking the affidavits of victims and evidence of transactions.

Vigilio said the scam is believed to be bigger because many overseas Filipino workers also put in their money into it in exchange for big interest returns. Tonette Orejas/TSB