Con artist falls after 4th target outwits her

The intended victim didn’t fall for her story.

In the end, a woman who tried to con a man into giving her money supposedly on the instructions of his parents was arrested on Tuesday by the Quezon City police.

At least three other complainants came forward to accuse Edna Santos of using them as targets of her swindling schemes.

The woman was nabbed in an entrapment operation at SM North Edsa following a complaint by Ryan Joe Florano, 29.

The suspect was arrested in an entrapment operation after calling up Florano’s home, pretending to be a member of the staff of a lawyer who was supposedly mediating for the victim’s parents who reportedly met an accident. The complainant’s parents are abroad.

Fairview police station commander Supt. Virgilio Fabian said Florano pretended to be a helper who followed Santos’ instructions to bring   cash and valuables to her.

According to deputy director for administration Senior Supt. Joel Pagdilao, another complainant also went to the police and claimed that she lost her designer bag last year to Santos at a mall in Cubao.

Cheryruth Takemura told police that she was with an uncle at a coffee shop in Ali Mall on June 25, 2012, when the woman allegedly stole her bag.

Santos allegedly dropped a P20 bill on the floor and called their attention to it, then grabbed Takemura’s Hermes bag with cash and valuables in it worth P350,000 when they were not looking.

Quezon City Police District director Senior Supt. Richard Albano urged other swindling victims to check if they had been victimized by the suspect who was arrested  by law enforcers of the  Masambong police station.

Albano said the suspect is reportedly facing several estafa cases.

Police said a prosecutor had  also been duped by Santos, using the same modus operandi of calling up prospective victims in their homes and telling them to bring cash or valuables to her for relatives who badly needed money.

Fabian said the prosecutor’s househelp had seen Santos on a TV newscast after her arrest and recognized  her as the suspect in the con scheme.