• THERESA MAE DULMAN
Fruit vendors in Libertad Market have reportedly been scammed of P4,500 by customers using counterfeit money, Bacolod city administrator, Atty. Mark Steven Mayo, said Oct. 1.
He said he met with a couple, who reported that the recurring scheme involves individuals posing as Tagalog-speaking buyers, who purchase large quantities of produce using fake bills and collect genuine currency as change.
“According to them, this is a series of transactions, where the buyers, different people, pretend to be outsiders, but they can say that it is obvious that they are not because of the voice” intonation, Mayo said.
City Treasurer’s Office personnel verified the banknotes used in the transactions and confirmed that they were counterfeit.
Mayo said they already assisted the victims in filing formal complaints at the Bacolod Police Station 6 and will refer the case to the Bacolod branch of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas as they have the authority to investigate.
He added that a memorandum has been issued to all public market heads, directing them to inform and educate vendors on how to identify counterfeit currency.
Mayo also urged the general public to exercise extra caution during cash transactions, particularly as foot traffic increases across the city amid the ongoing MassKara Festival celebration. | TMD
