Anti-cybercrime agents of the Philippine National Police (PNP) raided the safehouse of three alleged online scammers who used a fake Facebok account of the current top cop to collect money through rice donation.
Police Brig. Gen, Bowenn Masauding, director of the PNP- Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG), said they located the area in Binangonan, Rizal where the three suspects were holding their operation through a comprehensive social media exploitation, cyber patrolling, and series of surveillance operations.
Masauding said the modus of the suspects was to seek rice donations for the police community relations programs of Police Lt. Gen. Vicente Danao, Jr., the PNP's officer-in-charge.
One of the complainants told the police that the suspects offered to send one thousand sacks of rice to the latter to support the Police Community Relations activity of the OIC, PNP.
"Based on their conversation online, the complainant was convinced by the suspects to pay only P50,000 as shipment fee for the delivery of the said sacks of rice. At that instance, the complainant felt suspicious with the transaction and decided to report the matter to the PNP-ACG," said Masauding.
The raid was conducted on Sunday after the police were able to secure a search warrant.
Seized were two laptops, 10 smart phones, bank accounts and credit cards.
"Among the confiscated evidence, the bank account number which was previously sent by the suspects to the complainant to send the shipment fee of Php50,000.00 was seized in the possession of the suspects," said Masauding.
He said the arrested suspects will be facing criminal charges for violation of Republic Act 8484 (Access Devices Regulation Act) as amended by RA No. 11449 in relation to Section 6 of RA No. 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012).