Seven persons allegedly engaged in online fraud have been arrested in Pampanga, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said on Friday, Sept. 27.
Those arrested were identified by the NBI as Arnel Bautista Dayrit, Reniel Vergara Pabalan, Sharlene Manliclic Agustin, Amanda Eunice Roaquin Turalde, Mark Jhondell Dumarus Padua, Vanesa Manliclic Agustin, and Kaey Ann Agustin Pabalan.
It said they were arrested last Sept. 20 by joint operatives of the NBI-Pampanga District Office (NBI-PAMDO) and Philippine Air Force’s (PAF) 301st Special Mission Group and 300th Air Intelligence Security Wing during the service of a Warrant to Search, Seize and Examine Computer Data (WSSECD) against FXTM USDT FOREX TRADING located in Barangay (village) Salapungan in Angeles City, Pampanga.
It also said the operation “resulted in the confiscation of 85 units of desktop computers; 114 units of assorted cellular phones; various SIM cards and used SIM card chips; and various documents containing e-mails, passwords and cryptocurrency wallet addresses.”
“The seized documents disclosed the company’s real name as FMD Non-Voices Outsourcing Services including the names of its owner and officers,” the NBI disclosed.
It said the operation was conducted after NBI-PAMDO received information that FXTM USDT FOREX TRADING is a “cryptocurrency scamming hub targeting foreigners from US, Middle East and Europe.”
“Allegedly, FXTM uses social engineering, love scam, impersonation scam, phishing link and malicious website to lure its victims to invest their cryptocurrency platform,” it also said.
Those arrested and the four officers of establishment were charged before the Angeles City Prosecutor’s Office with computer-related fraud under Section 4(b)(2) of Republic Act No. 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
The names of the four officers were not disclosed by the NBI.