File photo of bingo balls. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
MANILA, Philippines – An operator of mall-based bingo games filed estafa charges against three of its employees and one customer for allegedly conspiring to win millions in jackpot prizes.
In a statement on Friday, BingoPlus said that the charges were filed against employees Jefferson Castillo, Catherine Vargas, and Liwliwa Viloria, who purportedly engaged in “game fixing activities” and employed “fraudulent practices” for player Rafael Ramirez win the “Bingo Milyonaryo” jackpot prize worth P3.96 million last January 19.
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Castillo was the bingo host during the game, while Viloria and Vargas were the game attendants on duty.
According to the complaint filed before the Office of the City Prosecutor in Cauayan City, Isabela, on June 6, Ramirez later approached the BingoPlus branch manager to complain that he had been “scammed” by the three employees.
After the alleged scam was reported, an investigation revealed that after Ramirez claimed the jackpot prize, he split the winnings with Castillo, Vargas, and Viloria.
Investigation showed that the three employees had devised and implemented a scheme to ensure that the bingo numbers to be announced by the host would match those in the bingo card of Ramirez.
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An audit team collected evidence, reviewed CCTV footage of the day of the incident, reviewed records and supporting documents, evaluated and tested the control activities composing the Bingo Milyonaryo game, and interviewed concerned employees.
“We discovered that these individuals conspired to defraud BingoPlus through fraudulent schemes aimed at securing wins in our bingo games. These actions clearly constitute serious violation of law,” said BingoPlus in a statement.
It added that the company has “zero tolerance for any form of misconduct and we will take all necessary legal actions to ensure that these individuals will be punished for their criminal actions.”
“BingoPlus remains dedicated to providing a safe, fair, and enjoyable gaming experience for all.”
The four accused are facing charges of estafa under Article 315 Section 3(b) and 2(a) of the Revised Penal Code and may face imprisonment of four to eight years.