Talisay entrapment operation nets woman, who allegedly swindled appliance store

Policemen retrieve stolen appliances worth P86,760

The Talisay police have arrested a “female swindler” (sitting in bench at police station) during a Talisay entrapment operation on Monday, August 28 and retrieved the stolen appliances. | Talisay City Police Station

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A suspected female swindler, who tried to dupe employees of an appliance store for the second time after allegedly stealing P86,760 worth of appliances from the establishment, landed in jail when she was caught during an entrapment operation in Talisay City, Cebu on Monday, August 28, 2023.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Wayne Magbanua, acting Talisay City Police Station chief, identified in a report the arrested person as Margarette Luizen, 33 years old, and a resident of Sitio Adelfa, Barangay Kinasang-an, Pardo, Cebu City. 

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Talisay entrapment operation

Magbanua said in the report that the entrapment operation was set up by the Talisay City Police after a manager of an appliance center, Teodorico Celebrado, reported on August 28, 2023, the swindling incident on August 25, which was allegedly done by the suspect, and the alleged second attempt of the suspect on Monday, August 28, to dupe the establishment and its employees.

Initial police investigation showed that Luizen allegedly used a fictitious name under “Karen Michie Torres de Guzman,” to order online one unit of a 55-inch Skyworth TV, one refrigerator, and one rice cooker.

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Edited receipt

After ordering the appliances, the suspect then sent to the seller a bank receipt showing the successful payment to the establishment, which later turned out to be edited. 

Luizen then allegedly booked a courier, which delivered her orders to her. This happened before the employees of the establishment realized that the bank receipt that Luizen sent to them was an edited receipt.

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Second try foiled

After getting away with it the first time, the suspect allegedly ordered again online on Monday, August 28, which prompted the manager of the appliance center to report her to the authorities.

That was when the Talisay City Police Station set up the entrapment operation on the same day the complaint was received, leading to Luizen’s arrest.

Stolen appliances retrieved

Police retrieved from the suspect the 3 units of appliances that Luizen allegedly stole from the appliance center.

These were the 55-inch Skyworth TV, the refrigerator, and the rice cooker, which were worth P86,760.

Aside from that, the police also confiscated from the suspect her cellphone.

Suspect detained, estafa raps readied

Luizen was detained at the Talisay Police Station detention cell pending the filing of estafa charges against her.

Talisay City is located 11 kilometers south of Cebu City.

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