A 62‑year‑old woman in Quezon City fell victim to a “budol‑budol” scam after four men tricked her into surrendering jewelry worth about ₱405,000 on Tuesday, May 19.
Police said one of the suspects, alias “Virgel,” posed as a raffle promoter and convinced the victim she had won a prize package in exchange for buying an LPG safety device.
Gaining her trust, he entered her home under the pretext of inspecting the device, photographed her identification documents, and made her sign papers.
The suspect then instructed the woman to place her jewelry—including gold necklaces, rings, and a wedding band—inside a body powder container.
While she was distracted, another suspect staged a fake medical emergency, prompting her to leave the container unattended. The group fled with the valuables.
The victim later discovered her jewelry missing and reported the incident to Police Station 13.
CCTV footage and GPS tracking led investigators to the suspects, resulting in the recovery of one necklace and the arrest of all four men in follow‑up operations in Quezon City and Caloocan.
QCPD spokesperson Randy Glenn Silvio said the suspects will face estafa charges and reminded the public to be cautious in dealing with strangers and deceptive schemes. (Trixee Rosel)
