MANILA, Philippines–The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group arrested over the weekend an alleged female con artist who has been duping her clients by selling a condominium unit to several buyers.
Aida Artigas, 52, was apprehended in an entrapment operation in Bacoor City in Cavite after four complainants came forward to divulge her scheme.
The alleged scam artist, a resident of Vito Cruz Extension in Makati City, was caught red-handed while receiving P3,000 in marked money from one of her victims on Friday afternoon.
CIDG Director Benjamin Magalong said four complainants went to their office to detail Artigas’ alleged ploy in duping her clients.
The suspect reportedly sold a single condominium unit measuring 77 square meters at the Kingswood Condominium in Vito Cruz Extension, not to one but four buyers.
Samuel and Orpha Novena of Parañaque City paid an initial down payment of P794,448.91 for the property, which had a contract price of P3.15 million.
The CIDG learned there were other victims who unknowingly bought the same unit. Aniceto Igrubay, a resident of Kingswood Tower, paid a P600,000 downpayment for the same unit but for a contract price of P2 million.
Artigas allegedly enticed a third victim, Michael Garcia of Las Piñas City, to advance a P1-million downpayment with a contract price of P2.5 million.
On Friday at around 1:05 p.m., Garcia and CIDG operatives met Artigas at a McDonald’s branch in Barangay Talaba, Bacoor City supposedly to pay the suspect anew.
The con artist was arrested while receiving the marked money from Garcia.
Magalong said Artigas would be charged with large scale estafa before the Bacoor City prosecutors’ office.
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