An elderly woman in Tondo, Manila fell victim to a heartless scam after two suspects pretended to befriend her, only to rob her of her savings and jewelry worth around ₱100,000, GTV News Balitanghali reported.
The 77-year-old victim, identified as Lola Minerva, was on her way home from the market on a Sunday morning when two strangers approached her. CCTV footage showed a man in a cap trailing her, followed by a woman in a white shirt. The two eventually caught up with Minerva and began a conversation, pretending to be siblings.
According to the victim, the suspects claimed they were looking to buy a house and wanted to introduce her to the man’s supposed wife. “They said, ‘Nanay, I’ll introduce you to my new wife. I just got off the ship,’” Minerva recalled. Trusting them, she agreed to go along.
Moments later, she was ushered into a car where two more people were waiting — a man who claimed to be the driver and a woman posing as the wife. Once inside, things turned terrifying.
“They shut the door. That’s when I started panicking. The driver told me, ‘Don’t make a noise or we’ll kill you.’ They blindfolded me and covered my mouth,” she said, pleading with them not to take her life.
Minerva said the suspects forcibly took her money and jewelry before assaulting her, leaving bruises on her face and legs. They later dropped her off in Baseco and handed her ₱200 for transportation.
The victim reported the incident to her grandchildren, who then sought help from their local barangay. Barangay 67 officials confirmed they had heard of similar schemes, particularly targeting elderly marketgoers. “We’ve already heard of this modus in other areas. The police are addressing it,” said Barangay Kagawad Danilo Mendoza.
Authorities are now investigating the incident and reviewing CCTV footage to identify the suspects.
