Vietnamese woman nabbed for estafa

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) arrested a Vietnamese female national involved in a P1-million cyber-enabled estafa scheme that exploited a fraudulent QR code currency exchange transaction at 789 Fresh Mart along Federation Drive, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City on Sunday night, 15 March.

At the center of the case is a fraudulent currency exchange arrangement in which the suspect allegedly deceived a Vietnamese male national by presenting herself as an intermediary between the victim and a supposed Chinese national who was purportedly providing the equivalent amount in Philippine pesos.

As established during the inquiry, the victim was instructed to transfer VND 454,000,000, equivalent to P1,000,000, through a QR code provided by the suspect as part of the exchange arrangement. However, after the transfer was completed, it was later discovered that the QR code did not belong to the supposed Chinese national, resulting in the victim being defrauded of the amount.

Supporting the case documentation, authorities secured digital evidence linked to the QR code used in the fraudulent transaction, which will form part of the complaint for Violation of Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code (Estafa) in relation to Republic Act No. 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, which penalizes fraudulent acts committed through information and communication technologies.

In a statement, NCRPO Director P/Maj. Gen. Anthony Aberin reminded the public to remain vigilant in financial transactions and warned individuals who attempt to exploit people in Metro Manila.

The arrested suspect has already undergone inquest proceedings for violation of Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code, or Estafa, in relation to Republic Act No. 10175, while the corresponding legal processes in connection with the complaint continue to move forward.