A 13-year-old girl from Valenzuela became the victim of 'budol-budol' after a woman pretending to be her mother's classmate stole her cellphone and her wallet.
She said her daughter's phone was missing
According to reports, the 13-year-old was walking home along Karuhatan Road in Valenzuela when a woman went up and started talking to her.
The woman then told the victim that she was the mother of one of the victim's classmates and that her daughter's phone was missing so she needed to inspect her bag. Once the victim agrees, that's when she steals the valuables from inside the bag.
According to authorities, this isn't the first time that a similar incident had happened in the area. They add that most of the victims were students, and their cellphones and wallets were stolen.
The authorities go on to say that other tactics used by criminals would be to wait in a department store for a shopper with an expensive cellphone and then pretend that there was a mistake with the items that the victim bought. They would then proceed to steal the victim's cellphone and other belongings.
Authorities are currently looking for the suspect.
Always remind your kids to be careful
For parents, it's always important to be sure that their kids are always safe. However, parent's can't always be there to guard their kids so kids need to learn how to be careful and be wary of criminals. Here are some helpful tips:
- Never talk to strangers. Nowadays, criminals pretend to be people in need or people who are looking for something. Teach your kids to always be wary of people asking them for help or assistance and if possible, to direct those people to someone else who can help them instead of helping themselves.
- Keep your valuables safe. Always remind your kids to know where their things are, and to always put their valuables in a safe place especially when they're commuting.
- Be discreet. If your child has a cellphone, make sure they don't use it in public places, where it can be stolen. They should also be discreet whenever they're getting their wallet or counting money outside.
- Don't be afraid to ask for help. If your child feels unsafe or if a person is making them feel uncomfortable, they should look for an authority figure or someone that they can trust who would help them.
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Source: news.abs-cbn.com
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