POLICE have dismantled an alleged online romance scam hub operating in Manila, arresting 30 Filipinos, eight Chinese nationals, and one Taiwanese, the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) announced on Friday. The alleged scam hub, which had been running for approximately a year from three condominium units in Malate, was raided early Thursday morning, according to PNP-ACG Director Brig. Gen. Bernard Yang during a press briefing at Camp Crame.
During the operation, police confiscated a significant amount of equipment, including 231 subscriber identity module (SIM) cards from local and international telecommunications firms, 200 smartphones, 36 computers, two routers, and two modems, the ACG reported. The raid was executed based on a warrant to search, seize, and examine computer data issued by a Manila court, following a tip from a concerned citizen, Yang stated.
Yang explained that the syndicate is believed to be a splinter group from a larger operation dismantled by the ACG last year, following the government’s order to shut down Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) operations in December. “When Pogo operations were stopped, some splintered into smaller groups and shifted to guerrilla-type operations. This group came from one of the major syndicates dismantled by the ACG last year,” Yang said.
The arrested individuals are now facing charges related to online fraud and other cybercrimes. The PNP-ACG is continuing its investigation to determine the full extent of the scam’s operations and identify any additional individuals involved. The bust highlights the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to combat online scams and protect vulnerable individuals from falling victim to these fraudulent schemes.
