Woman loses P100k to ATM "swindler"

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines  — A 56-year-old woman lost almost P100,000 to a notorious swindler who switched her ATM card with that of another, not her own, after she sought assistance from the suspect to withdraw her money.

Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, director of the Bacolod City Police Office, said yesterday swindling charges have already been filed against the suspect, Maribeth Gonzales of Talisay City, Negros Occidnetal, who victimized Charito Boston.

Boston, wife of a retired police superintendent, told the police that she was about to withdraw from the ATM of Land Bank of the Philippines at Gatuslao St. recently when Gonzales allegedly offered to help her. The machine however did not dispense any cash later.

Unknown to Boston, the suspect already switched the ATM cards, so the victim failed to withdraw her money. She apparently also did not know that the suspect got hold of her personal identification number.

When Boston checked with the bank the following day, she discovered that the ATM card in her possession was not hers, and that all her money was already withdrawn from her own card.

Chief Insp. Adonis Rosales, chief of Police Station 1, said Gonzales usually victimizes elderly women. He said the suspect has been positively identified by another victim, an elderly teacher, who met Gonzales at an ATM booth of Bank of the Philippine Islands near SM City Bacolod.

Police records show that Boston was already the fifth victim of Gonzales.

De la Paz said the modus operandi of Gonzales is to approach her victims, usually elderly, who do not know how to operate the ATM machine and then offer to help them.

“We have been long been tracking her down. She is the suspect in a series of swindling incidents,” he said, adding that police is now waiting for a warrant from the court to arrest Gonzales.