iPhone con man arrested in stakeout

CEBU, Philippines - A man was arrested last Wednesday morning inside a mall at North Reclamation area for allegedly obtaining several iPhones with post-paid plans using fictitious names and then escaping his dues.

Placed under arrest was Edilberto De Vera Galanza, 26, of Valenzuela City.

Operatives from the City Investigation and Detective Management Branch arrested Galanza after a stakeout together with officials of Globe Telecom.

Last July the suspect allegedly victimized Globe Business Center in another mall, getting four iPhones with post-paid plans units totaling P180,000 under the name Bobby Camagay De Vera. He never showed up to pay his dues.

The suspect also reportedly obtained another iPhone that same day in another mall using the false name Rolando Abarquez.

By the later part of August, the suspect reportedly swindled another iPhone using the name Robert Cabico as the applicant.

The employees of the said business center reportedly became suspicious already as he looked like the one their branch in another mall told them to watch out for.

This prompted the establishment to call their employees in the other branch and a plan was hatched to have the suspect arrested if he ever came back to one of their branches.

The suspect was arrested last Wednesday morning inside the mall after he again tried to buy an iPhone using the same name, Robert Cabico.

Aside from a real student permit, police recovered six assorted fake identification cards from the suspects and the iPhone he just obtained when he was arrested.

The suspect, in an interview with reporters, said he only started conducting the crime last July and that he came to Cebu last May and worked in one of the realty firms here. — Niña G. Sumacot/BRP (THE FREEMAN)