200 hajj pilgrims fall victim to scam

MANILA, Philippines - More than 200 Muslims complained about being duped by two women who promised, for a fee, that they could join the hajj – an annual religious pilgrimage to Mecca – upon an invitation by the king of Saudi Arabia.

Thirty of the victims went to the Manila Police District’s general assignment section yesterday to file their complaints. Most of them are from Basilan and Maguindanao.

One of the victims said Salamah Dibarosan and Alma Carreon recruited them to join the pilgrimage for a fee of P50,000 to P75,000, which would cover the processing of their requirements.

The flight would be provided by the United Nations, he said.

They flew to Manila on Aug. 18, expecting to board flights for Mecca on Aug. 23, he said.

The suspects, however, told them the flight was reset for yesterday, said Yusoph Mando, convenor of the group 1Ummah-Philippines and spokesperson for the complainants.

He said he was able to confirm that the pilgrims were indeed swindled as invitations by Saudi royalty to join the hajj pilgrimage are limited.

Mando also said the United Nations would not care about religious celebrations.  

He estimated Dibarosan and Carreon’s alleged victims to have reached 205.

Arrested

When the victims found out that Dibarosan and Carreon were staying at a hotel in Ermita, Manila, they asked police officers to accompany them and arrest the two women at around 5 a.m. yesterday.

Carreon, Dibarosan and a man said to be their bodyguard were brought to the MPD yesterday and are undergoing a medical checkup as of presstime.

The three face charges of large-scale estafa.

Last April, Carreon figured in another scam, allegedly introducing herself as a Malacañang employee who would facilitate a final interview with President Duterte for a government post.