American tagged in pyramiding scam busted in Davao
Credit to Author: ggaviola| Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2019 10:50:05 +0000
MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Thursday said its operatives arrested the other day an overstaying American national who is an alleged leader of a notorious pyramiding and financial scam syndicate in Davao City.
The synidcate has reportedly victimized residents in Davao City and other parts of Mindanao, the BI said in a statement on Thursday.
According to BI Commissioner Jaime Morente, the arrest of James Edward Booyer III, 36, stemmed for the request of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, “whose office has received numerous complaints from victims of the syndicate that defrauded them of large sums of money.”
“We also received a report from the anti-scam unit under Mayor Duterte’s office regarding the results of its investigation into the nefarious activities of this American and his cohorts in the syndicate,” Morente said.
Operatives from the bureau’s Regional Intelligence Operations Unit in Mindanao arrested Booyer in his residence at the Fairlanes Subdivision in Damosa District, Davao City last January 24.
Morente said that the Davao City government will file charges against the syndicate members once it collects more pieces of evidence and build up its cases against the suspect.
The American national and his accomplices, according to the BI, formed several non-government organizations (NGOs) “which they have used as fronts in their swindling activities.”
One of the syndicate’s victims said that she and several others were asked to pay a P300 membership fee each to one of the NGOs to supposedly avail groceries amounting to P50,000 after two months.
“They said other victims were duped to pay P650 each to the group after being promised with P50,000 worth of groceries, P35,000 cash and a motorcycle,” the BI added.
Booyer’s group also reportedly deceived several Lumads in Davao who were promised that their lands would be explored for mineral deposits if they paid professional fees.
The BI said that Booyer, failed to extend his stay since he arrived in the country in August 2016. /gsg