Teener uses false identity to collect money, is arrested

Pretending to be a company manager, a 17-year-old boy managed to collect about P21,000 from a woman before he was arrested by the police for allegedly running a swindling racket that involved offering gadgets for sale online.

The minor was arrested by members of the Quezon City Police District’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit while meeting with the victim, Melanie Imson, 25, at a Novaliches mall Thursday night.

According to the complaint, the suspect used a false identity, introducing himself as Dexter Lim, a manager of an online cell phone store, to lure buyers into sending payment through a money courier service. At least three other minors, who remained at large, served as accomplices in the bogus transaction.

Arresting officer SPO2 Jose Amy Yerro said the teenager, a resident of Barangay Greater Lagro, admitted defrauding five more buyers using the same modus operandi.

Imson, a resident of Barangay Pansol, said she ordered an iPhone 4S worth P14,000 which was advertised on a buy-and-sell website on Sept. 13. The following day, a certain John Mark Sandoval contacted her and told her to pay P7,220 as downpayment through LBC Express.

But instead of getting her gadget, another man named Raymond Santos told her that the promo period for the iPhone 4s had already elapsed, but that he could still give her a discount. Santos asked her to send an additional P5,220, which she did on Sept. 15.

The next day, a third man, Tristan Santiago, who claimed to be the boss of Sandoval and Santos, called her to say that the phone model she wanted was already out of stock. However, Santiago said, she can have an iPhone 5 instead if she pays an additional P5,720. Imson did so on Sept. 17.

On Sept. 21, a Dexter Lim called her and introduced himself as the manager of Simcable, supposedly the store that advertised online. Lim claimed that he could not approve the delivery of the iPhone 5 until she pays P3,680 more.

When Lim called again on Oct. 15 to ask for another P4,000 in exchange for the phone, Imson was ready with a QCPD team to set a trap.

The minor claiming to be Lim showed up for the supposed “delivery” around 6 p.m. at Robinsons’ Mall in Novaliches, and was arrested after failing to produce the gadget.