Eleazar: Be vigilant vs online scams
THE country’s top cop on Saturday reminded the public to be extra cautious of transactions on social media following the arrest of a couple in Cavite for their alleged involvement in a construction materials delivery scam.
General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar made the renewed appeal as agents of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) in Cavite arrested suspects Axel John Medenilla and Jacille Sersedillo for involvement in the said modus operandi.
It turned out the couple had been offering construction materials at cheap prices on social media. But after receiving payments they do not deliver the items to their buyers, some of whom paid for construction materials worth millions of pesos.
The suspects are in the custody of the CIDG Cavite pending the filing of charges against them in the Prosecutor’s Office while more of their alleged victims surface to file criminal complaints against them, said PNP-CIDG director, Major Gen. Albert Ignatius D. Ferro.
“Hindi talaga nauubusan ng kalokohan ang ilan sa ating mga kababayan para lamang kumita sa iligal na paraan lalo na dahil sa popularidad ng online transactions sa panahon ng pandemya,” Eleazar said.
“Kaya hinihikayat natin ang ating mga kababayan na huwag mag-atubili na humingi ng tulong sa inyong kapulisan dahil kagaya ng kasong ito kung saan kaagad na nahuli ng mga operatiba ng ating CIDG ang mag-partner sa buhay at sa krimen dahil sa pang-i-scam sa ilan nating mga kababayan gamit ang kanilang social media accounts,” he added.
The PNP chief urged the public to immediately report to authorities if they have been victimized by this kind of criminal activity. He also tasked the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group headed by Brigadier Gen. Robert T. Rodriguez to intensify measures against these kind of activities.
“Palaging bukas ang lahat ng tanggapan ng inyong PNP 24 oras upang tulungan kayo at para sa kaalaman ng lahat ay meron din tayong programang inilunsad kung saan maari kayong matimbrehan ng maaga kung kayo ay niloloko na sa pamamagitan ng aming Project E-ACCESS,” said the top PNP official.
“Ang pagtutulungan ng pulis at ng komunidad ay napakahalaga upang hindi mabigyan ng pagkakataon o agad na mapanagot ang mga taong nagsasamantala lalo na sa panahon ng pandemya,” Eleazar stressed.
