Pangasinan Funeral Home Fell Victim to Fake Body Scam
A funeral home in Calasiao, Pangasinan lost P23,700 after believing they were handling a legitimate request to retrieve a deceased person from a hospital.
Alfie Alvior, the caretaker of Cababat Funeral Homes, received a call from a man inquiring about their funeral services. The caller claimed that his mother had passed away in a hospital in Metro Manila and requested a metal casket for the wake. The total cost was quoted at P180,000, which included transportation of the remains.
A few hours later, the same man called back with another urgent request. He claimed that his uncle had also died, but the hospital in San Carlos City refused to release the body due to unpaid bills. To proceed, he asked Alvior to send P23,700 for the payment.
Trusting the caller, Alvior sent the money and dispatched a team to pick up the body. However, when they arrived at the hospital, they discovered that no such patient existed. The supposed deceased person had no records, and the scammer had already disappeared with the money.
“Para kaming na-hypnotize, sir. Hindi na namin nakuhanan ng identity, pati ‘yung hospital bills hindi na namin natanong,” Alvior said.
Alvior admitted that they failed to verify the caller’s identity and didn’t even check the legitimacy of the hospital bills.
The Pangasinan Police Provincial Office has reminded businesses to verify clients before sending money. They also encourage reporting any suspicious transactions to the authorities immediately to prevent similar scams from happening.
“Huwag mag-atubili na i-report ito agad sa ating mga awtoridad lalo na sa ating kapulisan dito sa Pangasinan, sa ating mga police station. Kung may nangyaring transaksyon, agad i-secure ang kanilang mga account,” PPO Information Officer Police Leiutenant Trisha Guzman said.
In another post, a wife scammed by fake hospital staff while preparing to discharge husband
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