Budol-budol alert (They're no Neal Caffrey)

Yes, the budol-budol are no Neal Caffrey—the ever-dashing and dapper topnotch criminal-turned-FBI consultant on TV’s White Collar. If you’re familiar with the character played by the perfectly symmetrical and openly gay Matt Bomer, I’m sure you’d understand why some people wouldn’t mind being conned by him (I sure as hell wouldn’t *wink*). But I doubt our con artists here are anything close to Neal Caffrey (in terms of looks, fashion sense, talent and taste), good reason to stay wide awake and alert before they strike!

Stories of victims often make you think, “What? How stupid, I would never fall for that!” Who gives money to a perfect stranger? But still, people fall for the usually simplistic con. On top of prestidigitation or sleight of hand (or salisihan), are these criminals using hypnosis to lure unwitting victims? I don’t know exactly how, but with all the stories, I won’t be surprised if they are.

‘Budol-budol gang strikes anew’ reads many a headline, but are they actually a gang, a syndicate operating from a headquarters where they’re trained in the art of the con, in various methods of hypnosis? Or are these isolated cases of persons or groups of people who simply employ the same or similar modus operandi?

A little over a year ago, a friend of mine from The Bottomline fell victim to the trickery and theft of the budol-budol. It was a rather subtle subterfuge. The criminals called his house, told the maid that he had been in an accident that’s left him fighting for his life. It was an emergency and time was of the essence; they needed to get money and insurance documents at his house. Nervous and concerned for her boss’s life, the maid let them in. They left with an entire vault of jewelry worth millions.

A few days ago, I read the account of a known blogger here in Cebu on his horrible experience with the budol-budol. This modus involves a person calling, introducing himself as a scion of a prominent family (some surnames that have already been used in this con are Chiongbian, Aboitiz, Gokongwei, Zobel, Lopez, Lhuillier, etc.). The wealthy person is supposed to buy a property someplace far and offers to give the victim a generous commission (in the millions) from the purchase of the property. In the end, through salisihan, the victim lost his iPhone and some cash, and that after traveling all the way to Iloilo to help in buying the land. 

I know it’s easier said than done, but knowing of these stories, we really have to gather our loved ones and maids together and discuss these things. In this age of Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare, it’s so easy to fish for information to use in a prospective con. So don’t be too trusting, don’t let anyone (absolutely anyone), under no circumstance (unless expressed by the owner or family member himself/herself), enter your house.

Also, be perpetually wary of get-rich-now schemes. The promise of instant wealth is, most of the time, criminal in nature.

So, like what we were taught as kids, don’t talk to strangers! Also, never ever trust someone with your money and don’t look them in the eye—unless they’re Neal Caffrey, of course. ;)

***

Tonight on The Bottomline with Boy Abunda: It’s all about protecting our national treasures in this evening’s episode of the 2011 Asian Television Awards ‘Best Talk Show’ as Ivan Henares, Vice President of the Heritage Conservation Society, talks about an entire gamut of issues faced by conservationists—from threats of development, apathy and ignorance of some Filipinos toward our culture and heritage, to existing laws that are supposed to protect our tangible patrimony.

Watch The Bottomline later after Banana Split on ABS-CBN Channel 2. Encore cable telecast tomorrow, Sunday, 1 pm, on the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC).

***

Facebook: www.facebook.com/MikeAcebedoLopez

Twitter: @MykLopez

Email: [email protected]