Police: 2 foreigners nabbed over black dollar scam in Bulacan

At least two members of a gang involved in a "black dollar" swindling scam were arrested in a sting operation in Bulacan province Thursday, police said Friday. Bulacan provincial public safety company Superintendent Fitz Macariola said the arrest stemmed from a complaint lodged by two victims who lost their US dollar bills worth $17,400 to the gang. "Kinukumbinsi nila ang biktima na magbigay ng ganitong halaga, ihahalo nila sa black dollar. [Ang sabi nila] nilalagyan nila ng chemical ang black dollar na papel na may kasamang original US dollar bills, magiging US dollar lahat," Macariola said in an interview on dzBB radio. Macariola said a third member of the gang who was not present at Thursday's sting operation managed to elude arrest. He did not identify the two suspects, but said one has been staying in the country for eight months. The second has been staying in the Philippines for a long time, he added. Citing his unit's initial investigation, he said the gang would dupe its victims into believing they can double their dollars if they turned over the currency to the gang. But Macariola said the complainants sought police assistance after the gang had asked them for another $10,000. — LBG, GMA News