BAGUIO CITY (PIA) — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)is encouraging the public especially victims of financial scams to report to authorities to help them build cases against scammers, and arrest them to stop the illegal act and to protect others from becoming victims.
NBI-Cordillera Regional Director Atty. Daniel Daganzo reported during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas media forum at the NBI Regional Office here on Tuesday (October 1), that their office has been receiving hundreds of complaints from victims of financial scams like the Casino Junket, F2M Paalaga ng Baboy, hotel/cottage reservations and many others, with money involved reaching billions of pesos Daganzo shared a financial scam that the NBI-CAR handled.
The Team Z Casino Junket Scam is modus wherein the financing personalities provide loan with daily interest rate to high roller players, while investors were promised with a monthly interest of 5 percent or 111 percent interest annually.
However, the investors have not received the promised interest nor their investment returned.
The NBI pursued the case and the Team Z with the identified 16 individuals involved were charged with the crime of syndicated estafa and warrants of arrest were issued by the court with no bail recommended, Daganzo said.
Another financial scam case that is being handled by NBI-CAR is the F2M “Paalaga ng Baboy,” wherein a group allegedly led by certain Konos Salinas, is getting investors to buy piglets for P5,000 each, which the group will raise with the promise that after three months, the investor will receive P5,000 as return of investment plus P3,000 (60 percent) interest.
Daganzo said Salinas and his group can no longer be located. NBI CAR already received formal complaints from more than 300 victims of such modus.
“With the full cooperation of the complainants, we hope to document the deceitful process and ultimately file formal charges of syndicated estafa against the perpetrators”, he said.
Daganzo shared some tips on how to spot a scam. If the investment promise seems too good to be true, it must be a scam and if you have doubts, verify if it is authorized to conduct business or receive investment from the public with agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Interior and Local Government and the NBI or to the concerned local government units.
In case you are duped in investing, make sure that the money you invest is fully acknowledged and or receipted clearly showing the name/position and address of the company.
If possible, take pictures of the person/s you are dealing with. When victimized by financial scam, Daganzo’s advice is to formally file a complaint with NBI-CAR or the nearest NBI office in their area, provide sworn statement and bring documentary evidences such as transaction documents and interactive communications that may include advertisement, pictures, text and social media messages, among others.
The NBI-CAR joined other NBI regional offices nationwide in reporting their accomplishments under the Marcos Administration in the 19th episode of the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas forum. (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)
