2 nabbed for condo sale scam

MANILA, Philippines — Two persons were arrested in an entrapment operation in Manila for allegedly selling a condominium unit using photocopies of the ownership papers.

Catherine Cipriano and Antonio Soriano were arrested after receiving P10,000 in marked money handed to her by the complainant at a restaurant in Sampaloc, Manila last Wednesday, case investigator Police Officer 1 Danilo Kabigting told The STAR yesterday.

The complainant, a businessman only identified as Mon, said he received a text message from Cipiriano that she was selling a condominium unit worth P1.6 million.

He later found out from the building administrator that the unit was not owned by Cipriano, compelling him to report to the police.

Kabigting said the complainant turned out to be an acquiantance of two other businessmen, who earlier lost P500,000 to the alleged swindler.

Cipriano, who only presented photocopies of the condominium certificate of title to her victims, got the original title from another suspect, identified only as Mila, who sold the titles to her, Kabigting said.

The real unit owner told police the condo title has been missing since 2014. The owner turned over the original title to the building administrator for safekeeping, Kabigting said.

Before her arrest, Cipriano was the subject of an arrest warrant for estafa. The suspects will be charged with attempted estafa and swindling.