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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider NBI arrests 37 Filipinos in 'online scam hub' in Laguna

NBI arrests 37 Filipinos in 'online scam hub' in Laguna

Published Mar 13, 2026 04:18 pm
Thirty-seven Filipino employees were arrested in an “online scam hub” in San Pedro City in Laguna by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The NBI said the employees were arrested by the bureau’s Human Trafficking Division (NBI-HTRAD) during the service of a Warrant to Search, Seize, and Examine Computer Data (WSSECD).
It said that the “NBI-HTRAD operatives uncovered a highly organized office divided into specialized fraudulent stations.”
It also said that the 37 Filipino employees “were engaged in coordinated activities such as posing as fictitious Apple technical support, offering fraudulent debt financing and misleading marketing services, and persuading victims to grant remote access to their computers to gain unauthorized system entry.”
The activities, the NBI said, constitute a flagrant violation of Republic Act No. 12010, the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA) which penalizes financial account scamming and social engineering, and RA 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 which addresses illegal access, data interference, and system interference.
It said that all of the recovered electronic devices and gadgets have been transported to the NBI Headquarters in Pasay City and “specialized forensic teams are currently conducting a comprehensive off-site analysis to preserve digital evidence and identify further links to broader criminal networks.”
NBI Director Melvin A. Matibag advised the public to remain vigilant against unsolicited offers and protect their digital boundaries.
“Our successful intervention in this sophisticated scheme demonstrates our firm resolve to confront high-tech criminality head-on," he said.
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