Guy tricks hardware store owner into buying own tub of paint

Remember, if something is too good to be true, it probably isn’t.

This is what a hardware store owner in Pandacan, Manila had to learn the, er, hard way when he was tricked into buying his own tub of paint on Sunday.

In a phone interview with Coconuts Manila today, Police Officer 1 Danilo Kabigting, the investigator in charge of the case, said that it was around 4:30pm when store owner Lee Marvin Magtalas was approached by suspect Bernardo Bautista.

Bautista allegedly offered Magtalas a 4-gallon tub of Boysen paint — usually priced at around PHP3,000 (US$56.91) — for PHP1,000 (US$18.97).

Not wanting to miss out on the seemingly good deal, the store owner bought the paint.

Kabigting said that the two men knew each other before the incident and that Bautista — who works in construction — would sell Magtalas paint at a cheaper price whenever he acquires extra tubs from work.

Shortly after Bautista left, Magtalas noticed that a tub of paint was missing from his storefront.

He checked his CCTV camera’s footage and found out that he actually bought his own tub of paint.

According to Kabigting, the footage shows Bautista getting out of the store and literally just grabbing the tub of paint before immediately presenting it to Magtalas.

After realizing that he was tricked, Magtalas called the police who immediately went after the suspect.

Bautista was found in an electronic bingo station about 50 meters away from the hardware store.

Kabigting said that the suspect had already spent the PHP1,000 (US$18.97) he got out of the con when they arrested him.

Bautista is currently in the Pandacan police station and was charged with swindling.