Agents of the Anti-Cybercrime Group of the Philippine National Police (PNP-ACG) arrested two vloggers and 17 others in a raid on a suspected Voice Phishing (Vishing) den in Imus, Cavite.
PNP-ACG director Brig. Gen. Ronnie Francis Cariaga said the operation stemmed from a confirmed intelligence report of online scamming activities in another vishing and scamming hub in Cavite.
Cariaga explained that vishing scam is a fraudulent practice of making phone calls by posing as bank representatives, convincing individuals to update their old card and reveal their bank account details, such as credit card numbers, as well as providing their One-Time-Pin (OTP).
“From simple vishing to spear phishing, the suspects use information obtained from credit card applications and ledgers or spreadsheets, likely taken from third-party service providers of the banks, such as Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies,” said Cariaga.
“The scammers then use this information to access and siphon money from their victims’ bank accounts,” he added.
Armed with a search warrant, ACG operatives swooped down on the area and arrested 19 people inside.
Two of those arrested, according to PNP-ACG spokesperson Police Lt. Warren Mae Arancillo, are popular vloggers with thousands of followers.
Seized were Several SIM cards, mobile devices, laptops, assorted bank documents, ledgers, and scripts that are being used to defraud the victims.
Cariaga said all the arrested suspects will be charged with violation of Republic Act 12010, or the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA) which was recently signed into law by PBBM.
“This is the first time that the PNP ACG will file criminal charges for violation of AFASA since its effectivity,” said Cariaga.
Separate cases for violations of RA 8484 (Access Devices Regulation Act of 1998), as amended, and RA 10173 (Data Privacy Act of 2012), both in relation to RA 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act) will also be filed against them.