Housewife loses cash, jewelry to budol gang

A 51-year-old housewife in Mandaue City lost her wedding ring and P1,200 cash  to two female con-artists who used a familiar ruse—a fake bundle of money called a budol-budol.

Ester Villamor  of barangay Maguikay didn’t realize the stranger she  was helping on the street was a swindler.

Villamor  reported the incident to the Theft and Robbery Section (TRS)  but it was too late.

The housewife   was on her way to the bank past 9 a.m. when a woman in her 40s approached her and asked for help.

The woman said she was a dried fish trader whose  truck just broke down along the MC Briones flyover and that she was looking for someone to tow her truck.

A second woman in her 40s   arrived and tried to sell them  beauty products.

The two  women made it appear  that it was a chance meeting and that the second woman knew a forwarder who could tow the truck.

Villamor was convinced to accompany them.

While walking together, the women convinced the housewife   to be the custodian of  the businessman’s cash amounting to P40,000, which was wrapped in a cloth, because it was risky carrying the cash on the street.

As a guarantee, the  women asked for Villamor to exchange something of value—her P1,200 cash and three rings, including a wedding ring, a Chinese gold ring and a ring adorned with diamonds all worth P20,000.

The housewife agreed and turned over the jewelry and cash.

After half an hour, with no trace of the women,  Villamor opened the bundle  and found only cut-up  pieces of paper with a  P100 bill on  top.

TRS chief Insp. Ramil Morpos warned the public  to be wary of strangers asking for help and making it appear that they are entrusting their money to you; that’s the modus operandi of a  budol-budol gang./correspondent Fe Marie Dumaboc