Syndicated estafa filed vs Coco Rasuman

A CASE of syndicated estafa was filed by at least 25 victims of “Ponzi scheme” against Jachob “Coco” A. Rasuman, his wife and family members.

Rasuman is reportedly the president and chief executive officer of “Nad Auto Option,” which is allegedly involved in a “pyramiding scheme.”

Also charged were the alleged directors and officers of the company identified as Jirimaeh Amer Rasuman, executive officer; Jamiery Amer Rasuman, chief financial officer/comptroller; Jamela Rasuman Tomawis, assistant chief financial officer; Jalaimah Rasuman Manguron, marketing manager; Jerome Amer Rasuman, operations manager; Bashir Rasuman Jr., assistant operations manager; Amer Tomawis, key accounts manager; Princess Tomawis Rasuman, secretary/accounts officer; Bashir D. Rasuman and Ema Amer Rasuman, consultants.

Information gathered by Sun.Star showed that the money involved in the complaints would reach to at least P274 million.

Rasuman allegedly enticed prospective investors to invest in their company in exchange of huge interests every two months.

One of the victims, who requested anonymity, said Rasuman claimed that their family is running the “Nad Auto Option,” a money-making corporation engaged primarily in the business of “petroleum sale” and “trading of cars,” among others.

With the promising “high interests and a guaranteed amazing return of investments,” the victim, along with his relatives and friends, invested “some hundreds of millions.”

Sun.Star also learned that during the first two months, the Rasumans were able to pay the investments but persuaded the victims to invest again, including the interests they earned, promising that the money would earn “an increased and high interest rate.”

However, in July this year when the issue broke out, the Rasumans allegedly failed to pay the maturing obligations of the victims’ investments.

The victim said the Rasumans, particularly Coco, could no longer be traced at their office in Phase 1C Xavier States, Cagayan de Oro City.

Related to this, Cagayan de Oro City Prosecutor Fidel Macauyag assured to widen their investigation and to dig deeper into the case.

“If there’s strong evidence, it will be brought to court for non-bailable offense, which is syndicated estafa,” Macauyag told Sun.Star.

Macauyag believed that “Nad Auto Option” is not purely a pyramiding scheme but a “Ponzi scheme,” a “fraudulent investment” operation that pays returns to its investors from their own money rather than profit earned by the individual or organization running the operation.

He said the Ponzi scheme usually entices new investors by offering higher returns than other investments in the form of short-term returns that are either abnormally high or unusually consistent.

Earlier, the victims of the alleged “pyramiding scheme” trooped to Rasuman’s office in Cagayan de Oro.

Macauyag said he is thankful that some of the investors decided to file formal charges against the Rasumans instead of taking the law into their own hands.

“These Maranaos’ usually do not file cases, peni-personal nila and take the law into their own hands. But if they would kill Coco, then who would pay them? Instead na may sisingilin sila, baka sila pa ang kakasohan,” he said.

Macauyag also encouraged other complainants to include the agents in filing their complaints, citing they are the best persons who can give credible information and documentary position against the Rasumans.