Woman Falls Victim to Scammer Pretending to Be Regional Director at SM
SCAMMER – A netizen took to Facebook to share her experience of being scammed by a woman who pretended to be a regional director at SM Supermalls.
Alexa Morata, a real estate agent, posted that she accompanied a woman, identified only as Lea Mie A. Bagante or Ms. Leah, for a site visit at Deo Homes, Deca Homes, and Yntossan in Ormoc City. The woman was dissatisfied with the smaller units and preferred a 100-square-meter lot. Ultimately, she favored Yntossan, which led them to return to that area. The woman pretended to be an employee of SM Supermalls, claiming to be a regional manager and stating that her husband was a ship’s captain.
After the site visit, Alexa took the woman back to SM. While Alexa was in their office, the woman repeatedly called, insisting on buying a house because her husband was interested in investing. They scheduled a meeting with the seller at SM initially set for around 10 a.m., which was later moved to 11 a.m., then to 12 p.m., and eventually to 1 p.m. Alexa waited for her at Kenny Rogers. The woman then suggested going to Robinsons to buy a gift for a friend she claimed was a manager at SM.
At Robinsons, they visited Handyman because the woman wanted to purchase a smart lock for the house she intended to buy. The woman then proposed going to a department store to buy pants as another gift. Alexa tried on the pants because the woman claimed she had the same size as the recipient. Unbeknownst to Alexa, the woman had stolen PHP 25,000 from her bag.
Alexa Morata hopes the woman will be apprehended and prevented from scamming others. In the comments on her post, Alexa mentioned that the woman was reportedly seen in Tacloban City and warned people there to be cautious, as she might be involved in further deceitful activities.