Fake car agents flee with cop’s P180,000

A member of the Philippine National Police’s elite Special Action Force (SAF) was duped by two women who posed as a car firm’s employees and took off with his P180,000 down payment.

PO2 Jhon Paul Lim filed a complaint with the Muntinlupa City police on Friday after waiting in vain for hours for the suspects who told him they were just going to the restroom.

According to case investigator SPO1 Ronaldo Pelagio, Lim and one of the suspects, who had introduced herself as Abel Medina, agreed to meet in the lobby of the Isuzu Alabang-Zapote branch at 8 a.m. on Friday.

Referred by fellow cop

They were joined shortly by the other female suspect. Lim said a fellow policeman had referred him to Medina, claiming she was a car sales agent who could facilitate his purchase of a sport utility vehicle (SUV).

Muntinlupa police investigators, however, said that Medina was using a fictitious name.

The two female suspects accompanied the 31-year-old Lim throughout the process — from selecting the model of the SUV he wanted to test-driving it.

As Lim was about to give the down payment to complete the sale, Medina volunteered to bring the money to the cashier. She and her companion then excused themselves to go to the restroom but did not return. Both suspects remain at large.

Lim said the two suspects also took the original copies of his documents, including a National Bureau of Investigation clearance and salary slips.

False pretenses

Pelagio said the car firm’s employees did not question the two women’s presence in the showroom because they had introduced themselves as Lim’s cousins.

On the other hand, Lim was made to believe Medina was a legitimate sales agent since she was “talking so knowingly with the personnel.”

Pelagio said Medina did not let Lim talk directly to the car firm’s legitimate employees. Instead, she talked separately to the SAF trooper and the staff.

Police said they were verifying information that Medina had been arrested before in Quezon City for using the same modus operandi. –Dexter Cabalza