17-yr-old in Baguio loses P.5M motorbike to man who posed as online buyer

Baguio City, Philippines - A teenager in Baguio City lost his motorbike worth P500,000 to a scammer who posed as a buyer online. 

According to the police report obtained by DZWT 540 AM - Radyo Totoo, the 17-year-old victim posted his motorbike for sale on social media. The suspect, using a dummy or fake account, expressed interest in buying the vehicle and negotiated the price down to P400,000. 

Then, the two met later, where the fake buyer asked to test-drive the motorbike, to which the victim agreed.

However, the suspect never returned after taking the vehicle. The 17-year-old was prompted to report the matter to the authorities. With their help, the scammer was identified as a resident of Santa Isabel, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro.

The Scammer now faces charges for swindling or estafa filed by the victim at the Baguio City Prosecutor’s Office. Additionally, the suspect may also be charged with violating Republic Act 1017, otherwise known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2022, due to his use of a fake social media account to commit fraud. 

The scammer is now being pursued by the authorities, while the victim expects that his motorcycle will be returned to him.