Camera store falls victim to cons

CEBU, Philippines - A store lost over P100,00 worth of cameras to two unidentified swindlers passing themselves off as professionals.

A representative of Nikon Showroom and Service Center located at the second floor of the Banilad Tower Center in Barangay Banilad reported to the police that the store lost a Nikon D7000 and D3290 cameras to a woman and a man who claimed to be a doctor and a lawyer, respectively.

Mabini Jun Ray Temblor, store representative, told the police that the woman who introduced herself as Dr. Rama called up the store last Tuesday afternoon to order two Nikon cameras.

The woman allegedly ordered the store to have the cameras delivered in her son’s house. But before Temblor could hang up the phone, a man who claimed to be Attorney Rama approached him and pretended to have overheard his conversation and his mention of the name of the latter’s mother.

Since the items were ready for delivery, the man told the store personnel to deliver the cameras to their residence. When the delivery crew arrived at the supposed address of the buyer, the crew was met by the man who claimed to be Atty. Rama.

The crew was convinced by the man to go with him at a nearby fastfood chain outlet. While in the fastfood outlet, the man was able to convince the crew to allow him to receive the delivery and instructed them to pick up the payment from his mother in their residence.

The delivery crew agreed and returned to the house that the male swindler claimed to be theirs. It was already late that the crew found out that the house was not owned by their supposed customers.

Meanwhile, the president of the city scholars’ organization lost P8,000 cash and cellular phone to a lone robber in Magallanes St., Barangay Ermita yesterday dawn.

Gerald Lariosa, 21, was standing beside La Fortuna Hotel while waiting for a passenger jeepney at 2 a.m. yesterday when the robber whom he identified as Roberto Junior pointed a knife at him and declared a holdup.

Lariosa, a resident of Barangay Poblacion-Pardo, works as a call center agent.

Lariosa said he knew the suspect because they had a drinking session before the incident. The money was intended for the scholars of the city. Lariosa however promised to replace the amount.— (FREEMAN)