Parañaque police bust high-end 'fake luxury bag' scam

The Southern Police District (SPD) dismantled a sophisticated swindling scheme involving counterfeit luxury goods following an entrapment operation that led to the arrest of two suspects in Barangay Tambo, Parañaque City on Thursday afternoon, 26 February.

Operatives from the Parañaque City Police Station's Intelligence Section and the Investigation and Detective Management Section, in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines Army Intelligence Regiment, apprehended the suspects identified by the aliases Glenn, 25; and Imel, 29–both residents of Barangay San Isidro, Parañaque City.

The investigation was initiated after a 29-year-old call center agent sought police assistance, reporting that the suspects had previously sold her a "Birkin Hermes" bag for P700,000 on 7 February 2026, which was later tagged as fake after professional validation and authentication.

The suspects contacted the victim again on 26 February to offer a "Kelly 25 Hermes" bag for P950,000, prompting the victim to coordinate with the Parañaque Police for an entrapment operation.

During the arrest, police recovered an extensive collection of evidence including a white Kelly 25 Hermes bag, a black Kelly 25 Hermes bag, a Chanel item, a Coach bag, and a magnifying loupe glass.

Also seized were several mobile devices consisting of an iPhone 13, a Samsung Galaxy 11, a Tecno Go Spark 2, and an iPhone 6, along with P2,000 in genuine marked currency and 98 pieces of P1,000 bill boodle money.

The suspects will face formal charges for estafa (swindling) as the case is referred to the Parañaque City Prosecutor’s Office for inquest proceedings.