cyber criminals – Author Carlo Carrasco

Small groups from POGOs moving into residential areas

October 25, 2024October 16, 2024carlocarrasco

The nationwide ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) is arguably working. That being said, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) stated that the POGOs have been forming smaller groups which have moved into residential areas to secretly operate, according to a GMA Network news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news report. Some parts in boldface…

Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) appear to be trying to evade the authorities by forming smaller groups and setting up in residential areas, the National Bureau of Investigation said amid a raid on a group of alleged scammers.

In a report by John Consulta on 24 Oras on Tuesday, 17 foreigners were arrested in the raid on a residential unit in Makati City. They were caught at their workstations for alleged scamming activities, including love scams and crypto scams.

“Pag nakakuha sila ng pool of information, magko-conduct sila ng background investigation kung sino ang target nila. Pag nakita nila yung pattern, yung character, yung hobby, yung daily activities at the same time yung longings ng kanilang victims, ie-engage nila through social engineering,” said National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Cybercrime Division Chief Jeremy Lotoc.

(When they get a pool of information, they will conduct a background investigation on their target. When they see the pattern, the character, the hobby, the daily activities, and at the same time the longings of their victims, they will engage through social engineering.)

“Merong hacker, merong buyer ng data. May nakita kaming program-coded script na pwede magamit to access other systems without the authority nor consent of the system owner we assume meron silang activity in terms of hacking,” Lotoc added.

(There is a hacker, and there is a buyer of data. We found a program-coded script that can be used to access other systems without the authority or consent of the system owner. We assume they have activity in terms of hacking.)

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said they are from big Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) companies.

“Yung malalaking POGO, nag-group sila into smaller group, nag-o-occupy ng residential units, apartments, para hindi mahalata na POGO, yun pa rin. To continue their scamming activities,” said NBI Director Jimmy Santiago.

(These big POGOs form smaller groups and occupy residential units so that they can’t be detected. Then they continue their scamming activities.)

The NBI is already examining the computers to obtain the details of their victims, while an inquest has already been conducted on those arrested and they are facing online fraud complaints and the violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are you concerned that there could be these small POGO-related units secretly operating within the residential communities near you? Has there been a raid in your local community in connection with POGOs, scamming and hacking?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

19 people arrested in Cavite for voice phishing and scamming, credit card applications found

September 5, 2024August 29, 2024carlocarrasco

After more than three months of surveillance on a house in Imus, Cavite, elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP) conducted a raid and arrested nineteen individuals for scamming and voice phishing, according to a GMA Network news report. Several charges have been filed against the suspects.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news report. Some parts in boldface…

A rapper and his girlfriend vlogger were among the 19 individuals arrested during a raid in a voice phishing lair in Imus, Cavite.

In Jun Veneracion’s report on “24 Oras” Thursday, authorities conducted a three-month surveillance on a house in Imus town before they conducted the operation. Several suspects attempted to escape resulting in a chase at the nearby farm.

According to the Philippine National Police-Anti-Cybercrime Group investigation, it’s been three months since the rapper was recruited into the scheme. The report said the rapper thought it was a legal business at first.

“Parang gusto na nila umalis kaso nasagawa na natin ang operasyon,” said PNP-ACG spokesperson Wallen Mae Arancillo.

(They were planning to get out of the group, but it’s too late as we have already conducted our operation.)

The PNP-ACG said that the couple could be having difficulty leaving the team because of the money.

“P5 million per week ang kinikita nila and I believe by percentage sila kung ilan ang tao na ma-scam nila (They earn P5 million a week and I believe are paid by percentage depending on the number of individuals they are able to scam).

Seized during the operation were credit card applications used by the suspect for the scam. There were also scripts found.

“Meron tayong nakausap na victim na imbes na panggamot sa anak nya sana ay na-scam, kaya namatay ito,” said Arancillo.

(One of the victims told us that his child died after he lost the money supposed to be used for the treatment through the scam.)

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Did you think there are still lots of groups of scammers still operating using voice phishing? Did you receive any phone calls from individuals claiming to be representatives of banks and credit card companies? Were there any members of your local community who got scammed?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

Transgendered woman arrested in Cavite for sharing nude images of former partner

August 26, 2024August 16, 2024carlocarrasco

Recently in the province of Cavite, police officers arrested a transgendered woman (transwoman) for sharing nude images of a former partner to many people (the friends and relatives of the victim), according to a GMA Network news report. The arrest was the result of successful entrapment operation.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news report. Some parts in boldface…

A transwoman was arrested in Cavite for sharing nude photos of her former partner to his friends and relatives, the Philippine National Police (PNP) – Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) said on Friday.

In a statement, the ACG said the suspect identified as alias “Jerica” was arrested in an entrapment operation in a drive-in hotel in Bacoor City on Tuesday evening.

The victim said he and the 22-year-old suspect engaged in video calls and exchanged explicit photos and videos, according to the police.

“After their relationship ended in July 2024, the suspect retaliated by sharing the intimate contents with the victim’s friends and relatives,” the NCRPO said.

“The suspect then demanded a meet-up with the victim promising to delete the compromising materials only if he would agree to have sexual intercourse at a hotel,” it added.

Due to this, the suspect is facing complaints for grave coercion under the Revised Penal Code and violation of Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009 in relation to Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

“Avoid sending explicit photos or videos to anyone, as it could be exploited against you,” ACG chief Police Brigadier General Ronnie Francis Cariaga said.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think criminal activities involving transgendered people are bound to multiply nationwide? Are many members of your local community identifying as transgendered people? Do you think that gay pride or “Happy Pride” celebrations are distorting the youth’s perception about morality?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Parañaque City scam hub raided, 99 suspects arrested

August 23, 2024August 22, 2024carlocarrasco

Very recently in the city of Parañaque, local authorities raided an alleged scam hub in Barangay Baclaran resulting in the arrests of almost one hundred suspects who were mostly foreigners, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

Authorities apprehended nearly 100 Filipino and foreign workers during a raid at an alleged online scam hub in Parañaque City on Thursday morning.

In a report, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief, Maj. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez, said police operatives swooped down on the office of AIA Company on the 9th floor of Centrium Tower 1 on L. San Pedro Street corner J. Maceda Street in Barangay Baclaran at about 2 a.m.

Among those arrested were Nan Shan, Detu Su, and Wu Jian Bin, who were identified as the manager, owner, and supervisor of the company, respectively.

Aside from the three, 64 other foreigners – 56 Chinese nationals, four Malaysians, two Myanmar nationals, an Indonesian, and a Vietnamese national – and 32 Filipinos were nabbed.

Nartatez said the operation stemmed from confirmed intelligence reports that the establishment was engaged in cryptocurrency investment and love scams by posing as a licensed offshore gaming operator.

He added that the company is not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Investigation disclosed that the company utilizes their CSRs (customer service representatives) in fraudulently portraying a character, such as a wealthy model who would entice prospect victims to invest in the manipulated cryptocurrency exchange/trading platform, with fraudulent intent,” he said.

During the raid, NCRPO officers found rooms where indecent shows could be filmed.

“While conducting inquiries to them, the Filipino nationals manifested that they (CSRs) were forced to work as scammers, while the models were being forced to dress in a seductive manner and perform lascivious conduct, which the CSRs will portray in order to lure their prospect victim,” Nartatez said.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, are you concerned that there could be even more scam hubs secretly doing illegal operations within the city? Do you think the remnants of closed Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) have secretly been flocking to Parañaque to set up scam hubs?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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NBI arrests 12 Chinese nationals who were caught in the act of scamming and for previously detaining and harming a man who refused to work as a scammer

August 16, 2024August 9, 2024carlocarrasco

Every day here in the Philippines, either someone got scammed or someone is secretly organizing a scam to steal money from others. Recently in the City of Manila, agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) apprehended twelve Chinese nationals who were caught in the act of scamming and also for illegally detaining and assaulting a man who refused to work as a scammer, according to a GMA Network news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news article. Some parts in boldface…

The National Bureau of Investigation-Special Task Force (NBI-STF) has arrested 12 Chinese nationals for alleged online scamming and assaulting and detaining an individual who refused to work as a scammer, it said Friday.

In a statement, the NBI said the victim filed a complaint for alleged violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, serious physical injuries, and serious illegal detention.

The complainant said he was forced to work as an online scammer in a building in Manila and was beaten and assaulted when he refused.

He said the suspects then demanded him to pay the P500,000 ransom, but he was only able to give P300,000. After this, he was released and threatened to be killed if he will report the incident to authorities.

This led the NBI-STF, in coordination with the Manila Police District, to conduct an operation on August 6.

They arrested 12 Chinese nationals caught in the act of committing online scamming activities. Four of them were positively identified by the complainant as the ones who assaulted him.

The suspects were presented for inquest proceedings for violation of 4(b)(2) of the Cybercrime Prevention Act, and Article 263 and 267 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think there could be a lot more Chinese nationals committing crime and harming people here in the Philippines? Have you been scammed before? Do you think the Chinese nationals currently living in your local community could be secretly scamming others online?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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PNP warns public about receiving phone calls from scammers pretending to be bank employees

August 1, 2024July 25, 2024carlocarrasco

Have you been receive phone calls from people who claim they are contacting you on behalf of a bank? Be extra careful because scammers have been acting as bank employees while calling up people in order to steal their money. Already the Philippine National Police (PNP) warned the public about such callers as they arrested several scammers in Cavite, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

The Philippine National Police (PNP) Anti-Cybercrime Group on Thursday cautioned anew the public, especially the elderly, from falling to fraudulent phone calls from those pretending to be bank employees.

The ACG issued the warning after nine suspects allegedly engaged in ‘vishing’ (voice phishing) scams and target bank depositors were nabbed in Cavite province on Wednesday night.

ACG chief Brig. Gen. Ronnie Cariaga said the arrest was made during the service of warrants to search, seize and examine computer data (WSSECD) against April Joy Espino,34, for violation of Section 4 (b) (2) or Computer-related Fraud under Republic Act No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

“In telephone calls, these individuals pretended to be bank employees, deceitfully obtaining money from the victims’ bank accounts,” Cariaga said in a statement.

He said the arrest was carried out after an eight-month investigation, case build-up, and surveillance on the suspects which stemmed from complaints from dozens of victims.

Seized during the operation were 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.

Cariaga has called for the cooperation of financial institutions in the investigation to strengthen the evidence, prepare for filing the case, and expedite the process.

“The PNP ACG will also reach out to the victims identified in the gathered evidence to assist them in filing a complaint,” he said.

In a press briefing at Camp Crame, ACG Cyber Response Unit chief Col. Jay Guillermo said the suspects siphoned millions from the accounts of their victims.

“So roughly nasa PHP40 million na yang nakuha nila (They got roughly PHP40 million) from the time we investigate from November up to now,” Guillermo said.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Did someone claiming to be working for a bank call you recently? Do you think banks should do more to inform their clients about their policies with regards to phone calls?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Chinese nationals arrested by NBI agents for credit card fraud and bribery

August 1, 2024July 30, 2024carlocarrasco

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested seven Chinese nationals for credit card fraud and bribery as a result of separate operations that took place in two cities, according to a GMA Network news report. One of the operations happened in Parañaque City which for some reason remains a hot spot of crime involving Chinese nationals.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news report. Some parts in boldface…

Seven Chinese citizens have been arrested for credit card fraud and bribing agents of the National Bureau of Investigation, the NBI said Tuesday.

According to the bureau, operatives of the NBI-Cybercrime Division arrested the seven foreigners, classified as a transnational organized crime (TOC) group, in separate operations in Parañaque and Quezon City on July 27.

This was after the NBI received multiple complaints against the foreigners, accusing them of vishing, smishing, phishing, click-baiting, pretexting, and whaling, which resulted in unauthorized or illegal access and eventual utilization of their credit card credentials without their knowledge.

The NBI said the group would cash out money through socially engineered credit card credentials from the accounts of their victims. It said the group would need a point-of-sale (POS) device to expedite cashing out.

During the operation, poseur-accomplices pretended to possess a POS device. They then agreed to meet for the scheme to materialize.

This led to the arrest of two Chinese citizens during an entrapment operation in Parañaque on July 27.

One of them attempted to bribe the operatives several times and offered P1.5 million for their release and the termination of the charges against them. The operatives pretended to agree to the offer and conducted another entrapment operation.

In the evening of the same day, two vehicles arrived at the parking lot of the NBI main office in Quezon City for the exchange.

The NBI said that after one Chinese-looking individual gave a bag of money, the operatives arrested him along with his cohorts inside the vehicles.

Authorities retrieved three handguns with a military-grade smoke grenade from the vehicle. The arrested individuals were unable to provide licenses and papers for the firearms.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think there could be more Chinese nationals secretly committing credit card fraud and other forms of cybercrime while they are still staying here in the Philippines?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Chinese national wanted for cyber fraud arrested at airport

May 14, 2024May 2, 2024carlocarrasco

In recent times, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced that it apprehended a wanted Chinese national at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article. The suspect is wanted for involvement in cyber fraud.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

A Chinese passenger who is on the wanted list of foreigners for involvement in cyber fraud was recently arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported on Wednesday.

Commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the passenger as 28-year-old Qin Xingye, who was intercepted at the NAIA Terminal 3 last April 28 before he could board an Air Asia flight to Hong Kong.

The foreigner was reportedly arrested after his name prompted a hit in the bureau’s derogatory check after presenting himself for clearance at the immigration departure counter.

“He was referred by the immigration officer to his supervisors who verified his identity and later confirmed that the passenger and the person in the bureau’s derogatory list are one and the same,” Tansingco said in a statement.

The derogatory hit showed that he was placed on the immigration blacklist for being an undesirable alien and for overstaying and illegally working in the country.

The BI’s Border Control and Intelligence Unit (BCIU) reported that the passenger was previously charged for engaging in cyber fraud activities and for working without a permit.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the Bureau of Immigration (BI) is doing a good job apprehending wanted foreigners?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Philippines described by Nikkei Asia as “Asia’s epicenter for online shopping scams”

March 7, 2024February 27, 2024carlocarrasco

In recent times, a lot of people here in the Philippines got cheated by a scammer over their huge purchases of tickets for a Taylor Swift in Singapore. This incident serves as a painful reminder that the nation has been hit by a lot of scams online, so much so the Nikkei Asia published a December 2023 article describing the Philippines as “Asia’s epicenter for online shopping scams.”

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Nikkei Asia article. Some parts in boldface…

James Relativo thought he had landed a great deal on an electric drum set, but instead the Manila resident was cheated out of his money in a country gaining the dubious distinction as Asia’s worst for online sales scams.

Shoppers across the Philippines have been bilked out of millions of dollars so far this year, with some turning to victim chat groups on Facebook and other social media. A recent report found more than one-third of Filipinos surveyed had been scammed or encountered retail fraud online.

“Some people easily believe in false promises even if they are too good to be true,” warned Alexander Ramos, executive director of the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC).

In retrospect, Relativo might have been more skeptical about a drum set going for 8,000 pesos ($140), less than half the usual price, on e-commerce site Shopee.

But he hit ‘buy’ without hesitating, and soon things turned suspicious. The seller shifted its communications to a messaging app and demanded half the cost of the drums for “refundable taxes.”

More money demands followed until a frustrated Relativo agreed to bypass Shopee’s payment system and settle his remaining balance on GCash, a digital payments platform. He never got his drums.

“I just kept telling him I wanted my money back,” Relativo told Nikkei Asia, his voice laced with exasperation. “It wasn’t like I was dealing with a scammer — he was talking to me, sending me pictures of the drum set being packed.“

The journalist’s saga highlights a bitter experience for a growing number of people in the Philippines, which clocked the highest scam rate for online shoppers across nearly a dozen economies in the 2023 Asia Scam Report, published in November.

Commissioned by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) and Taiwan-based tech security company Gogolook, the report surveyed 20,000 respondents about their online shopping experiences in Vietnam, China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines.

The shopping scam rate in the Philippines led the group at an eye-watering 35.9%, followed by mainland China at 27.2%. South Korea had the lowest incidence, at 4.2%.

The explosion in online shopping has created a lucrative market for scammers. And a lack of cybercrime awareness is aggravating the problem in the Philippines, where people spend an average of 10 hours a day online by some estimates.

“Although (Filipinos) are considered very connected and digitally wired, (they) do not have adequate digital literacy skills,” said Mark Manantan, director of cybersecurity and critical technologies at the Pacific Forum in Hawaii.

The survey found that Filipinos were easy prey for scammers because they “respond too quickly” to sellers’ demands.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction about this recent development? Do you think Nikkei Asia’s article is detailed enough and trustworthy when it comes to gaining a strong awareness about online scams? How members of your household or your local community got scammed online over the past six months? Why do you think a lot of people in the Philippines are so determined to spend a lot of money to watch a Taylor Swift event overseas?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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