Identity thief impersonates Ramón Tolentino to scam Yiyo Sarante's family

An individual impersonating journalist Ramón Tolentino via WhatsApp has defrauded the family of salsa singer Yiyo Sarante. The victim, Araceli Melo—Sarante's ex-wife and manager—was targeted during a period of mourning following a violent robbery at the home of merenguero Julián Oro Duro, which resulted in the death of his wife, Zeneida.

The scammer used Tolentino's profile picture to contact Melo, claiming to have located jewelry stolen during the fatal robbery. The perpetrator initially requested 20,000 pesos to cover travel expenses to Barahona and subsequently demanded an additional 120,000 pesos, alleging the items were pawned.

Melo discovered the fraud after verifying the request with the actual journalist. The National Police spokesperson, Colonel Diego Pesqueira, confirmed that a suspect has been detained and the case is under investigation. Authorities have stated they will handle the process with discretion to respect the privacy of those involved.