• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The Bureau of Fire Protection has issued a warning following a series of fraudulent activities where scammers utilized the names of fire marshals in both Himamaylan City and Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, to place large bulk orders.
In Himamaylan, the scam was unsuccessful because the owner of the Sinukad restaurant was personally acquainted with Acting Fire Marshal Inspector Jereck Barbas and was able to verify the transaction as a fraud before any goods were delivered.
However, an establishment in Binalbagan fell victim to the scheme after a staff member transferred P4,000 via GCash to an individual claiming to be BFP personnel.
The owner of the Binalbagan restaurant only realized the deception after later contacting Acting Fire Marshal Senior Fire Officer 2 Raffy Nobleza, who confirmed that no such order or fund transfer request had been authorized.
The suspect involved in these incidents has been reported using the mobile number 09061330046 to place fraudulent orders and misrepresent themselves as government officials.
Authorities urged establishments to verify the identity of anyone placing large or unusual orders, to never rely solely on phone messages, and to avoid sending money or goods without proper validation through official government channels.*
