AS authorities continue their crackdown on illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) has discovered a disturbing trend: Filipinos previously employed in raided POGO hubs are now setting up their own scam operations.
“The frightening thing is the indigenous scam farm being run by Filipinos. This is what we’re seeing. There are already some who are trying,” PAOCC spokesperson Dr. Winston Casio told Super Radyo dzBB on Monday. He attributed this shift to the lucrative nature of these scams, stating, “The question is, why? Because the money is really huge.”
Casio revealed that authorities have raided online fraud and scam networks run by Filipinos in recent months, noting that these individuals are “veterans” from previously raided illegal gambling dens and online scam hubs.
The PAOCC had anticipated this development, with Casio stating that the commission, directors, and even the Executive Secretary had discussed the possibility of Filipinos using their acquired knowledge, connections, and financial resources to launch their own scams.
Despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s ban on all POGOs in his third State of the Nation Address and the directive for PAGCOR to cease all POGO operations by year’s end, the PAOCC discovered that an Internet Gaming Licensee (IGL) firm in Pasay City appeared to be ignoring the ban.
A recent raid on the establishment revealed that Filipinos were among the newly hired personnel, with some claiming to have been hired just days or weeks prior. This discovery reinforces the PAOCC’s concern that IGLs, despite their licensed status, are also subject to the POGO ban.
metrosundaily
