Beware of fake CDO dealership

THE public is being warned against a syndicate that offers a dealership of CDO food products in exchange for cash.

According to Foodsphere Inc., maker of CDO food products, the group is now in Cebu City.

Dindo Danao, CDO media affairs coordinator, said the group is led by a certain Allan Cruz Tan, who was arrested two years ago for the same case. Tan, though, was able to post bail. Since then, Danao said Tan has not been found, while the number of complainants against has gone up.

Danao said Tan’s group has victimized over a hundred persons nationwide.

Modus operandi

He said the modus operandi of the group’s members is to pretend they are agents of CDO. They offer victims a dealership business in exchange for cash. They also reportedly offer unusually big discounts and rebates.

There’s one hitch. The victims have to make a cash down payment.

Once the victims turn over the cash, the “agents” promise to return and deliver the merchandise.

“All victims were women or are mostly housewives because they are the ones who easily get excited with the offers,” said Dindo in a media gathering yesterday.

In Cebu, Wilson Villaseran, sales executive of CDO, said Tan usually offers a pack of CDO products plus a refrigerator to the victims.

“Kung mangadto mi’g laing lugar para maninda, wala na’y gana ang mga tawo kay nailad naman sila ani nga grupo (Sometimes we don’t feel welcome in some areas where we sell our products because residents there have been victimized by the group),” he said.

Early this year, three women from Lapu-Lapu City were victimized by the group and reported the incident to police.

Cebu victims

Lovely Meh Mendez, 28, of Barangay Marigondon, said that last July 29, Tan went to her house and offered her to be a stockholder of CDO products.

She said Tan convinced her to give him P5,000 as a reservation fee. He allegedly promised to deliver the CDO merchandise that same day, but the suspect never returned.

The other victims were identified as Helen Abenoja and Emilyn Menguito, 49, both from Barangay Basak.

Dindo said CDO does not ask for down payments for its authorized dealership.

The Theft and Robbery Section of the Cebu City Police Office said it has yet to receive reports about this form of swindling in the city, but it assured to monitor and investigate the group.