Jhea R. Jualo, 24, is going through estafa fees for allegedly defrauding an American nationwide. | CDN Digital Picture / Paul Lauro
CEBU CITY, Philippines – A 24-year-old lady is now going through estafa fees for allegedly defrauding an American nationwide no less than P1.5 million in what authorities described as a traditional case of ‘love rip-off.’
Enforcers from the Nationwide Bureau of Investigation in Cebu District Workplace (NBI-Cebdo) arrested a sure Jhea Ramos Jualo in an entrapment operation in a espresso store in Mandaue Metropolis, Cebu final April 24.
The circumstances filed towards Jualo had been filed on Monday, April 28.
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The complainant, Paul Lunt, accused Jualo, a resident of Maasin Metropolis, Leyte, of duping him in a relationship for monetary achieve.
Apparently, the suspect had already managed to siphon off no less than P1.5 million value of money from the sufferer. These don’t embrace different valuables Lunt had purchased personally for Jualo like a laptop computer and jewellery.
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Love rip-off?
Preliminary investigations confirmed that Jualo realized about Lunt when her brother, recognized solely as RJ, tried to attach with the foreigner throughout a aid effort for storm victims in Maasin Metropolis, Leyte in 2023.
RJ then launched Lunt to his sister, Jhea, via on-line messaging. The suspect and the sufferer instantly began exchanging messages that finally led to a relationship.
Lunt’s authorized counsel, lawyer Athena Salas, mentioned it was Jhea who proposed for the 2 to get right into a relationship after which the suspect began asking for cash.
At first, Lunt had no suspicions when Jualo, a name heart agent, began asking small quantities of money to allegedly assist her household in Leyte.
“They nonetheless haven’t met in individual however when she tried to ask for P300,000 in money, he began to doubt concerning the seriousness of their relationship,” Salas mentioned in Cebuano.
Condominium unit buy
Not too long ago, Lunt obtained a request from Jualo, asking P2.4 million in money as downpayment for a condominium unit to relocate her household from Leyte to Cebu.
She apparently advised the sufferer that the she intends to purchase the unit which prices a complete of P14 million.
“That’s when the sufferer reached out to us for assist, believing that he may need been scammed.” Salas added.
Lunt then flew to the Philippines, and filed a grievance earlier than the NBI-Cebdo which, in flip, launched an entrapment operation that led to Jualo’s arrest.
Jualo, for her half, denied the allegations hurled towards her, including that she had been trustworthy to Lunt that the funds would go to her household’s wants.
“My brother is unemployed. My father is a PWD (individual with incapacity). I solely used the cash to maintain our wants. And if there’s some additional, we might spend it for leisure,” Jualo mentioned in Cebuano.
Jualoo and Lunt lastly met in individual shortly after NBI-Cebdo arrested the suspect who had requested forgiveness from the sufferer.
Lunt, nevertheless, is intent to pursue the case towards her.
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