A CEBU City-based businessman claimed that three people, including a couple, defrauded him of almost P200 million in an alleged investment scam.
In a press conference on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, Kaiser Christopher Tan, through his lawyer Francisco Amit Jr., offered a P1 million reward to anyone who can provide the location of Michelle Lim Go and Lorenzo Baltonado Jr. and his wife Jerlyn Joyce.
A warrant of arrest has already been issued by Judge Judilyn Hugot Tapia- Menchavez of Toledo City Regional Trial Court Branch 59 against the three after Tan filed a large-scale estafa case against them.
Amit called on the accused to turn themselves in.
Amit said that Go and the Baltonados invited his client to invest in them in exchange for a huge return of their investment.
“Go reportedly issued checks to the Baltonado couple and they would use these to get investors. Potential victims immediately took the bait as they were made to believe that the scheme was legitimate because of Go’s financial capability,” Amit said in Cebuano.
Aside from Tan, another victim only identified as Linda was also duped into believing in the alleged scam.
Linda allegedly poured P24 million into the scam.
Her uncle, who is a retired policeman, also lost his retirement money to the fraudsters after she invited him to invest in them.
Linda was grateful that someone has stood up to file a case against three persons who cheated them.
She said she got to know the defendants in 2020 after which she invested in their business believing it to be legitimate.
Linda said she received an income from her investment in the first few months but after that the accused disappeared and could not be contacted anymore.
As of press time, SunStar Cebu is still trying to contact the accused to get their comments. (BBT / TPT)