Two senior citizens lost a total of P600,000 in cash and jewelry after allegedly falling prey to “budol-budol gang” tricksters in Tubigon and Talibon.

Police identified the victims as 67-year-old Ferosvica Cerezo, a resident of Potohan, Tubigon and 66-year-old Naida Jao of Suba, Talibon.

The authorities noted that the two women may have been victimized by a single group, as both victims had narrated to police that they were taken inside a black KIA Sportage before their cash and jewelry were allegedly taken.

Cerezo, a retired teacher of the Holy Cross Academy who is now a cashier of the institution, allegedly lost P500,000 to four suspects, one male and three females including one who claimed to know her.

The amount was reportedly meant to be used to purchase books for the school.

Cerezo told police that she had just claimed the amount from the First Consolidated Bank (FCB) when one of the female suspects, who said that her son is her former student, approached her.

The suspects then asked her to board a black Kia Sportage. Cerezo claimed that she agreed after the perpetrators used some form of hypnotism to have their way with her.

Inside the vehicle, the suspects reportedly showed her mounds of cash and told her that she would get a commission of P200,000 if she helped them find expensive rocks for stonework.

Cerezo claimed that the conversation was a ruse to distract her as the P500,000 was already missing and only a pad of paper was left inside her bag when the suspects dropped her off near her home.

The suspects were also reportedly able to get jewelry from the victim including a bracelet, necklace and a ring.

The Tubigon Police Station has tasked its intelligence operatives to make a follow-up investigation on the case and conduct a hot pursuit operation to recover the stolen amount.

In Poblacion, Talibon, Jao who allegedly had jewelry estimated to be worth P100,000 taken from her was approached by a female suspect on Wednesday morning, based on initial police investigation.

The woman claimed to know Jao’s son Edwin and asked her to board a black KIA Sportage.

While inside the vehicle, the suspects asked Jao to deposit P15,000 for them at an FCB branch and leave her jewelry behind as guarantee that she would not run off with the cash.

The suspects then handed her a black pouch containing a large amount of cash, which according to Jao, put her at ease.

Jao was later on dropped off in San Jose, Talibon, but she later on realized that the pouch given to her now only contained a bundle of pieces of paper.

According to Jao, the suspects had already sped off out of Talibon when she noticed that she was scammed.

Police in Talibon are currently conducting a follow-up investigation on the case.

Last month, a similar incident took place in Tagbilaran City wherein a retired teacher had jewelry and cash taken from her inside a black SUV. (Allen Doydora)