20 persons in Biliran lose P4M in online money-lending scam

TACLOBAN CITY—At least 20 persons have filed separate complaints before the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) provincial office in Naval town of Biliran after allegedly being duped in an online money-making scheme.

Police Capt. Herbert Mendoza, head of the CIDG in Biliran province, said they received many complaints against a female suspect who reportedly took more than P4 million from the victims.

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He said they would file charges of large-scale estafa against the suspect, whose name was withheld by the police, and her possible cohorts, considering the substantial amount they got from the victims who went to the CIDG office in Naval on July 8.

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“We are calling all the victims of this pyramiding scheme to come out and report this to their nearest police station or our office. Don’t be afraid, we will help you,” Mendoza said.

Former student

Jean Cabillan, a teacher at a public high school in Naval who agreed to be named, said she lost more than P270,000 to the suspect, whom she identified as “Anne,” her former student.

“To be honest, I was encouraged by her promise of a big payback when I joined her online ‘paluwagan,’” she said in a phone interview on July 8.

A paluwagan is a system of borrowing from a fund to which all group members contribute.

Cabillan said she started contributing P30,000 last February with a promise of a P50,000 payback.

Although she received no payback, she continued participating, making eight more payments until May.

In total, she paid the suspect P278,000 through online transactions.

“It came to a point where I had to pawn my jewelry just to give her money,” Cabillan said.

Last month, when Cabillan asked her former student to return her money but received nothing, she decided to file a complaint against her for estafa.

Cop husband

“I want to get my money back and see her behind bars. She did not only dupe me but also my sister, mother and some overseas workers from our town of Cabucgayan,” she said.

Cabillan revealed that several of her coteachers also fell prey to the online money-lending scheme but remained silent due to concerns about their security and the embarrassment of being deceived.

“I heard that some of our policemen were also victimized by her through her husband, who is a police officer,” Cabillan said.

She called on other victims to come forward and file a complaint against the suspect, who is reportedly hiding.

Mendoza said they would coordinate with other government agencies to ensure the suspect couldn’t flee.

He said the CIDG will also ask for help from the Anti-Money Laundering Council to freeze the suspect and her cohorts’ accounts.

“We heard she (suspect) has a relative living in Australia, where she could possibly flee,” Mendoza said.