Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Novaliches Police Station (PS 4) operatives arrested five persons involved in "budol-budol" scam in Novaliches, Quezon City, on Wednesday, March 13.
The arrested suspects were identified as Jeanalyn Chavez, 42; Lanie Benedicto, 52; Crispin delos Santos, 48, all residents of Bulacan; and Aida Buhia, 59, and Edgar Tayros, 53, both residents of Caloocan City.
According to the police report, the victim was walking along Gen. Luis St. in Barangay Nagkaisang Nayon, Novaliches, Quezon City, around 9 a.m. on March 13 when Chavez approached her, introducing herself as a friend of her son.
Subsequently, suspect Bahia joined in the conversation, requesting for her help in purchasing metal roofing in bulk orders.
She displayed money amounting to P100,000 concealed in her paper bag.
Chavez later persuaded the victim to continue their discussions inside her car, where suspects Delos Santos, who pretended to be a hardware store employee, and Benedicto were also present.
The five suspects convinced the victim to withdraw a total of P200,000 from the bank and forced her to surrender her gold ring as well.
Upon realizing she had been scammed, the victim sought assistance from PS 4 operatives, resulting in the arrest of the suspects.
Police recovered from the suspects a gold ring worth P25,000, boodle money worth P100,000, and a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV).
The suspects will face swindling charges, police said.
“This operation is a testament to the QCPD's unwavering commitment to protect our citizens from deceitful schemes and fraudulent activities. Let this serve as a warning to others who seek to engage in similar criminal activities,” QCPD Chief Redrico A. Maranan said.
“Here in Quezon City, we will not tolerate such criminal behavior, hence, we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the safety and security of our residents,” he added.