Agents of the Anti-Cybercrime Group of the Philippine National Police (PNP-ACG) have arrested nine people who were tagged in duping bank depositors to give their bank details through what it referred to as a vishing scam.
PNP-ACG director Brig. Gen. Ronnie Francis Cariaga said the operation in General Trias in Cavite was a result of an eight-month surveillance and case-build operation which resulted in the identification of a certain Apol, a 34-year old female as the principal target of the operation.
Armed with a search warrant, PNP-ACG agents swooped down on the office of “APol” which resulted in her arrest and eight other suspects.
Cariaga said the vishing, or voice phishing or vishing scam, involved illegal activities wherein the scammers would pretend to be bank employees.
“In telephone calls, these individuals pretended to be bank employees, deceitfully obtaining money from the victims' bank accounts,” said Cariaga.
During the warrant implementation,Cariaga said his men seized items including registered SIM cards, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) devices, bank documents, and scripts used when calling the victims.
Among the bank documents were assorted bank accounts and credit card account records containing various personal information.
"The PNP ACG needs the cooperation of financial institutions in the investigation to strengthen the evidence, prepare for filing the case, and expedite the process,” said Cariaga.
"The PNP ACG will also reach out to the victims identified in the gathered evidence to assist them in filing a complaint,” he added.