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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PNP: Online scams down by 40% in January 2024

PNP: Online scams down by 40% in January 2024

Published Feb 19, 2024 05:07 am

Cases of online scams went down by more than 40 percent in January this year compared to the same month in 2023, the Anti-Cybercrime Group of the Philippine National Police (PNP-ACG) has disclosed.

PNP-ACG director Maj. Gen. Sidney Hernia said that from 1,045 cases that were reported to their office in January 2023, it went down to 421 in January this year, or a decrease by 40.29 percent.

Hernia attributed the decrease to the ongoing overhauling of the PNP approach on cybercrime, which started with hiring more IT experts and retooling them with knowledge through seminars and training programs.

“The ongoing establishment of PNP ACG offices in various regions, provinces, and districts, coupled with the efforts to implement Cybercrime Desks within Police Stations, has been instrumental in the ongoing battle against cyber fraud,” said Hernia.

PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda, Jr. earlier committed to strengthen the operational and investigative capabilities of the PNP and vowed to download all the necessary support to the people on the ground.

Part of the new approach is the setting up of cybercrime desks in all police stations across the country.

Currently, more than 50 policemen have completed their training in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) while cybercrime-related training were already scheduled for all the other regions.

“The PNP is committed to conduct comprehensive training, seminars, and lectures for personnel assigned to Cybercrime Desks to sharpen their skills and deepen their expertise, ultimately contributing to the creation of a safer online environment for everyone,” said Hernia.

Hernia also encouraged cybercrime victims to seek assistance to the police in order to effectively enforce the law against cybercriminals.

He explained that successful operations against cybercriminals would send a message to the cybercriminals that the police are serious in running after them.

"As they witnessed their peers being brought to justice and their operations disrupted, they were compelled to reconsider their actions, ultimately leading to a significant decline in illegal online activities," said Hernia.

"Let us maintain vigilance in our dealings with strangers, particularly in the online realm. It is imperative that we continually educate ourselves to safeguard against falling victim to online scams," he added.

Related Tags

Cybercrime PNP-ACG online scam
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