FEMALE ONLINE SCAMMER NABBED

AGENTS of the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group on Tuesday arrested in a sting in Cavite City a 25-year-old woman accused of involvement in an online scam.

Authorities said the victims were convinced by the suspect that they are dealing with legitimate Korean food suppliers and distributors in the country.

The suspect, identified through her alias “Lyn,” and a resident of Samonte Park, Cavite City, was caught  while claiming the money sent to her through a Smart Pera Padala branch in San Roque, Cavite City by one of her victims at 6:40 p.m. on Tuesday.

The entrapment was conducted by undercover officers from the ACG Cybercrime Reaction Unit under Col. Jay D. Guillermo following a complaint from a 27-year-old male resident of Bgy. Sta. Monica in Novaliches, Quezon City.

The man told PNP-ACG investigators that last February 5, he encountered a frozen meat dealer named “Maria Cortiz” while browsing the Facebook Marketplace platform.

The complainant said that during their online conversation, the woman convinced him to buy 27 kilos of frozen beef and 15 kilos of frozen chicken from South Korea for P12,173.

In the same afternoon, the man said he sent the payment for the frozen meat products to the woman using his Union Bank account thinking that the latter is a legitimate online seller after seeing Facebook photos of the accused with the items ready for delivery.

However, after a few hours, the complainant said he was surprised to learn that the woman had already blocked him on Facebook.

The victim immediately sought the help of the Quezon City District Anti-Cybercrime Team.

The suspect was arrested by ACG agents when she showed up to claim the P6,000 payment sent to her by the complainant who used another name to mislead her.

Criminal charges for swindling/estafa in relation to Sec. 6 of Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 were filed against the arrested suspect.