Cellphone dealer “dupes” 13 people

CEBU, Philippines - A cellphone dealer is now the subject of a police manhunt after 13 people filed complaints that he allegedly failed to deliver the items they ordered despite paying the down payments totalling P1,006,000.

Theft and Robbery Section chief, Senior Inspector David Señor, said that 13 people went to see him after they heard that a man with a similar modus as the one they dealt with was entrapped by the City Intelligence Branch on Monday afternoon. 

“Ang modus niya mora’g i-recruit ka niya…ang Iphone nga P50,000 ibaligya lang niya og tag P20,000 mokagat gyud ka, sa lima ka item P100,000 tagaan kag iphone 5S,” Señor said.

The cellphone dealer was initially caught in an entrapment operation Monday after four people filed a complaint against him. However, the man was released the next day when the complainants chose not to file cases after a settlement was finalized.

When the new complainants arrived, the suspect was already released.

Señor said that the victims alleged that the suspect offered to sell them Iphones on a much lower price and told them that if they would buy five units he will give them another free Iphone.

He said that the victims were enticed because of the suspect’s offer and had invited their friends to order Apple products from him.

 “Kaning insidente matawag nig large scale estafa kay miabot mag trese ka biktima, nadakpan ni sa CIB ang suspek. Ang mga victim nadala gyud kay friend to friend man gud, amiga man gud nag-connect-connect,” he said.

One of the victims said that she and her brother already gave the suspect P22,000 as down payment.

But she said that the suspect called them to demand for the full payment so that he could deliver the items.

 “Ok ra pod mi, at first kay gamiton man namo sa personal ang iPad Air, and then niana siya, di na daw siya mag-pupush through until Monday na lang daw, katong holiday,” she added.

She said that she paid the dealer the balance on October 6, 2014. One week later, she called the suspect to check if the items were already available but he said that they were still not on hand.

The transaction was cancelled and the dealer reportedly promised her that he would refund the money.

She said that when she saw the news on television that Romero was entrapped due to the same complaint, she went to the TRS but the suspect was already released.  (FREEMAN)