Man steals cellphone, not realizing it's being used for live selling

Online buyers became the audience of theft in Caloocan City after a man posing as a customer stole a cellphone, not realizing it was streaming live.

According to Emil Sumangil’s report on “24 Oras,” the seller was in the middle of live selling on Monday when a man approached her to ask the price for a pair of sneakers displayed in the store.

The seller did not cut the video as she went to assist the man. Early on, the suspect could be seen eyeing the phone on the counter.

When she entered the stock room, the suspect immediately grabbed the phone and left the store without knowing that it was streaming.

Though she was already four years in the business, Nica Mae Cacnio, one of the complainants, said it was the first time she experienced such an encounter.

“Pakiramdam ko hindi ko po alam kung maiinis ako or matatawa ako sa pangyayari kasi po hindi po niya alam doon sa live, so parang kitang-kita po ‘yung mukha niya. So parang natatawa na lang ako,” she said.

(I didn't know whether to be upset or start laughing because the thief didn't know he was being watched live. So everyone saw his face. So I guess it was funny.)

“‘Yung asawa ko naman po nagalit po pero natawa lang din po siya sa pangyayaring ganoon,” she added.

(My husband got angry, but he, too, eventually thought it was funny.)

Another complainant, Jonalyn Jimenez, said the suspect attempted to confuse her.

“Ang dami niya pong pinipili, bilin niya po ‘yung ganito. Eh, ‘yung ano po kasi namin sale, wala siyang box. So kumukuha po ako ng box tapos pinatong ko po ‘yung cellphone na nagla-live kasi hindi pwedeng putulin ‘yung live,” Jimenez said.

(He was being picky. But our wares were on sale, they didn't come with a shoebox. When I left to get a box, I left the phone still live streaming. You can't abruptly cut a live stream.)

“Ayun po, kinakausap niya po ako. Palitan daw ‘yung box hanggang sa ito naman ‘yung kinakausap niya. Ayun po, bigla na lang namin nalaman na wala na po ‘yung cellphone,” she added.

(That's how it went. He wanted a different box. That's when it happened, suddenly we discovered that the phone was gone.)

Cacnio said the suspect had an accomplice.

“Dalawa po silang magkasama tapos ‘yung isa nasa labas lang po, nasa motor, tapos siya nililibang niya ‘yung mga bantay dito,” she said.

(There were two of them. The other one was outside, on a motorcycle, distracting the other people in the shop.)

The Caloocan Police is investigating the incident. —Joahna Lei Casilao/DVM, GMA News