Young Shell Vendor Receives Help from Authorities After Victimized by Scam
A young boy who earns a living by selling shells was given much-needed help after becoming a victim of a scam earlier this month.
The incident happened on December 8, 2025, and involved a child identified as Jonas, whose simple effort to make an honest living was taken advantage of.
Jonas was selling shells when a man later identified as Albert Ibañez approached him and pretended to buy some of his goods. The man handed Jonas a one-thousand-peso bill as payment.
Since Jonas only had P500 bills and no smaller change, he explained that he could not give the proper change at that time.
Taking advantage of the situation, the man offered to look for smaller bills himself. He asked for Jonas’s P500 bill, saying he would return shortly. Trusting him, the child handed over his money.
Unfortunately, the man never came back, leaving Jonas without the money he worked hard to earn.
The following day, authorities took action. The Roxas City Police arrested two suspects for theft, including Ibañez, after reports were filed regarding the scam. With the case moving forward, the Anti-Crime Task Force stepped in to help the young victim.
Members of the task force met with Jonas and provided him with financial assistance that was more than the amount he lost. The gesture was meant not only to replace the stolen money but also to encourage the child and remind him that there are people willing to stand up for him.
Jonas chose to continue selling shells. He shared that hardships are part of life and that honest work should not stop because of one bad experience.
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The social media users expressed their reactions to the incident:
