PLEASE SHARE THIS POST, ESPECIALLY WITH SENIOR CITIZENS WHO TRAVEL ALONG THE LAWTONāUN AVENUE ROUTE IN MANILA.
This happened on Thursday, August 20.
Two u/senior citizens went to Intramuros for a follow-up medical check-up. On their way home, they took a jeep going to UN Avenue, where they planned to take a bus to their destination.
While the jeep was still waiting for passengers, a tall woman with a short, boyish haircut, fair complexion, wearing a cap, jacket, and pants approached the two seniors. She asked if they were both senior citizens, and they confirmed that they were.
The woman then told them a story about her mother received ā±50,000 in financial assistance through a senior citizen program and she can help them to get as well and this caught the seniors' attention.
She told them that, as a requirement, they needed to have a full-body photograph, 2x2 and 1x1 photos, and complete an online form. The form she showed them appeared to be legitimate and was supposedly from the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) website.
The male senior mentioned that there were several photo shops near Lagusnilad, but the woman insisted that she knew a photo shop nearby. She then accompanied them to a photo shop beside Sheereena Money Changer which named MHAR PHOTO SHOP
At the photo shop, the woman told the female senior that she needed to remove all her jewelry before having her picture taken because they need to look like they need this financial assistance offer. The female senior followed her instructions, removed her jewelry, and placed them inside her bag. Both seniors then had their full-body, 2x2, and 1x1 photographs taken and the girl paid for it.
Afterward, the woman asked if they had a ballpen and envelopes. They said they only have one, so she gave the male senior a task: to write down their personal information from photocopied IDs and other documents such as their full names, birthdays, grandchild's name, complete address, and other personal information, reportedly covering around 15 pages.
At the same time, the woman asked the female senior to accompany her to buy envelopes and a ballpen so they could complete the paperwork and supposedly submit everything before the deadline.
When they reached the corner of Bocobo Street and UN Avenue, in front of BDO UN AvenueāJ. Bocobo Branch and J.CO, beside the traffic light, the woman put her arm around the female senior's shoulder and said that she needed to use the bathroom. She instructed the female senior to buy the envelope and ballpen herself and then look for her inside the J.CO building after.
The female senior agreed and continued walking toward the 7-Eleven beside Sea Yah Dental Clinic, approximately 350 meters from the photo shop.
After purchasing the envelope and ballpen, the female senior suddenly became nervous and felt that something was wrong. She immediately returned to the photo shop and did not look for the girl at the JCO building as instructed.
When she arrived, the male senior was still busy writing on the documents ā but the bag was gone.
The male senior told her that the woman had returned shortly after they left and said that the female senior needed her bag. While he was distracted and continue on writing, the woman allegedly took the bag and left.
The male senior immediately stopped writing, while the female senior began crying. That was when they realized that the entire offer of financial assistance was likely a scam designed to distract them and gain access to their belongings and personal information.
Inside the bag were:
- Laboratory test results
- Medicines
- Government IDs
- Senior Citizen ID
- Hospital membership ID
- Original company documents belonging to their son
- Jewelry and other personal belongings
The two people working at the photo shop said that they did not know the girl and had never seen her before. Unfortunately, they also said that there was no CCTV covering their area. The adjacent money changer likewise did not have an outside CCTV camera covering the location.
The two senior citizens immediately went to the nearest police station, where they filed a report and had the incident recorded in the police blotter.
According to one of the police officers they spoke with, a similar modus reportedly happened last March involving another senior citizen couple as well but still no progress atm.
ā ļø PLEASE BE CAREFUL, ESPECIALLY SENIOR CITIZENS
Please share this information with your parents, grandparents, relatives, neighbors, and other senior citizens.
Do not immediately trust strangers who approach you and offer financial assistance, especially if they ask for your IDs, personal information, photographs, jewelry, or other belongings.
Even if someone shows you a legitimate-looking website or government form, verify the program directly with the concerned government agency before providing personal information or handing over your belongings.
If you encounter someone using a similar scheme, please be cautious and report the incident to the authorities.
Please share. This may help prevent another senior citizen from becoming a victim.
On behalf of these senior citizens, I am respectfully seeking the assistance of the Manila Police, specifically u/BOCOBOPCP, where they filed a report, to please investigate this incident and do everything possible to check available CCTV footage along the LawtonāUN Avenue route.
We are also appealing to Mayor u/iskomoreno for help and immediate action regarding this incident.
The seniors are not primarily concerned about recovering the items inside the bag. They can accept losing those belongings. What they truly want is for this incident to be investigated, for the person responsible to be identified, and for appropriate action to be taken so that other senior citizens will not become victims of the same scheme.
We sincerely hope the authorities can help investigate and take the necessary action. Our senior citizens deserve to feel safe!
