scamming – Author Carlo Carrasco

BPI Warns Public About Rise Of Smishing Scams Ahead Of Christmas Season

November 2, 2025November 2, 2025carlocarrasco

With the Christmas season approaching, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) warned the public about the rise of smishing as criminals have changed their strategies and used more sophisticated technology to steal people’s money, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

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

Ayala-led Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) is cautioning clients about a sharp, pre-holiday surge in online banking fraud linked to smishing, noting that criminals’ tactics have evolved from simple text scams to using highly sophisticated tools to steal money.

“Consumer complaints are increasing… a lot of it is seasonal. During Christmas, when people receive their bonuses, these cases really go up,” Jon Paz, BPI enterprise information security officer and data protection officer, said during the bank’s cybersecurity roundtable with the media on Wednesday, Oct. 22.

Paz reported that around eight out of 10 online banking fraud cases last year were perpetrated through smishing attacks using International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catchers and rogue apps.

He further noted that there were almost zero IMSI-catcher-related fraud cases in 2024, but incidents began appearing around December and skyrocketed by the second quarter of this year.

“Some of the authorities reported that those who were caught were reporting to Chinese nationals,” Paz added.

An IMSI catcher is a fake cell tower device used by scammers to intercept mobile signals and steal users’ personal and banking information.

Meanwhile, a rogue app is a malicious or fake mobile application that tricks users into granting permissions or entering credentials, allowing scammers to harvest personal and banking data.

Despite the increasing number of consumer complaints in the banking industry, Paz noted that BPI’s risk tolerance is “low—one incidence of fraud is one too many for us.”

While the bank cannot disclose its total allotment for app enhancements, BPI Chief Technology Officer Alex Seminiano stated that nearly 60 individuals are working across various functions—business, technology, and operations—to enhance the bank’s mobile app.

BPI said its mobile apps are equipped with an evolving security layer that can detect risky environments and devices, such as those that are jailbroken, use overlays, or allow side-loading, to prevent potential breaches.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Are you concerned that smishing will affect members of your family or those in your local community? Were you scammed online during the past six months? How many people in your local community are aware of smishing right now? Did you receive any text messages that tried to convince you to hit the link provided?

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

Scam Calls In The Philippines Jumped 78.44% In 3rd Quarter Of 2025

November 1, 2025October 23, 2025carlocarrasco

If you are in the Philippines, did you receive any suspicious calls on the telephone or on your mobile phone lately? Based on the data of an anti-scam app developer, scam calls in the country surged by more than 78% in the 3^rd quarter of this year, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

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

A 78.44 percent rise in scam calls was recorded in the Philippines in the third quarter of 2025, data from the latest Whoscall Scam Report of global anti-scam app developer Gogolook showed.

During the period, Whoscall said it logged a total of 62,390 scam calls, a sharp increase from 34,964 in the previous quarter.

Despite the spike, it noted that the figure remains 62.24 percent lower year-on-year than the 165,236 scam calls recorded in the same period in 2024.

Whoscall stated that it recorded 37,609 SMS scams, down by 42.17 percent from 65,035 in the previous quarter and a 97.71 percent year-on-year drop from 1,645,470 in 2024.

Gogolook Philippines Country Head and General Manager Mel Migriño said the trend indicates a behavioral shift among mobile users.

“Since the first quarter Scam Report of 2025, we have seen that Filipinos have become more cautious about clicking links from unknown numbers in SMS swindles. This shows that scammers are now shifting their tactics to calls and social media,” she said.

She explained that the rise in call scams is largely driven by fraudsters exploiting the telemarketing systems of financial institutions.

“They are taking advantage of legitimate promotional calls like credit card limit upgrades, making their scams sound more believable to unsuspecting consumers,” she noted.

Per Migriño, the continued decline in text-based scams can be credited to the “whole-of-society approach” involving law enforcement raids of major scam hubs nationwide and joint awareness campaigns.

Authorities urged the public to remain vigilant and report scam incidents through official channels.

Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) acting executive director Usec. Renato “Aboy” Paraiso said public reports are crucial in combating online fraud.

“We continue to urge the public to report scam incidents, as these serve as leads for further investigation and as the foundation for various initiatives that raise public awareness against online scams,” he said.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? What do you think is causing the surge of scam calls over the previous quarter?

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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Couple Arrested In Valenzuela City For Mass Producing And Selling Fake Government ID Cards

September 18, 2025September 11, 2025carlocarrasco

In the City of Valenzuela, the local police officers arrested a couple suspected of mass producing fake government ID cards and selling them online, according to a news report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

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

Valenzuela police apprehended a couple allegedly mass producing and selling fake government IDs online, Valenzuela Mayor Wes Gatchalian announced on Wednesday at a press conference.

PNP-Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) Acting Director PBGen. Bernard Yang said the couple was tagged as the main suppliers by another online seller the police previously arrested.

Apart from forging tools, and a printer, operatives seized over 300 pieces of the fake government-issued identification cards: PhilHealth, Social Security System (SSS), Unified Multi-Purpose ID (UMID), Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and Driver’s licenses. The suspects also reportedly forged government documents such as PhilHealth Member Data Records.

“We have confiscated so many IDs. They can do almost anything. And these are being sold online on different social media platforms ranging from P40 to P1,000,” Yang stated in Filipino.

The cops identified the couple as “Chippie,” 44, and “Kaye,” 40, who, when asked by the media, admitted to printing the IDs saying they were only doing their jobs, but they failed to name their employer.

They will face charges of falsification of documents, a violation of the Revised Penal Code, in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

Gatchalian advised against the production of fake IDs as it affects local businesses, as well as persons with disabilities and senior citizens.

“Disadvantaged here are the establishments that are losing money… The real senior citizens and the real PWDs of our city are disenfranchised,” the mayor said in a mix of Filipino and English.

Additionally, PhilHealth NCR Vice President Bernadette Lico reminded that registering to Philhealth can be done online, and the IDs can be claimed for free, highlighting that there’s no need to pay for fake documents.

“There are many people online who are buying PhilHealth IDs ranging from P200 to P900… There is no need to do this anymore. Because all Filipinos are covered by PhilHealth, When you get an ID made, there is no fee. And with the e-gov app, you can register for a PhilHealth ID online.” Lico explained.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Does this development make you concerned that there could be crime suspects among the many people who sell online live? Does the arrest of the suspect turn you off from attending online selling sessions? If you recently bought products from online selling sessions, were the good legitimate? Do you know anyone who became a victim of the suspect in the above news story?

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 Online Scam Hub Raided By CIDG, 14 Suspects Apprehended

August 26, 2025August 17, 2025carlocarrasco

Recently in the City of Parañaque, operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) successfully raided an online scam hub, seized several pieces of equipment and arrested fourteen suspects, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

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

Operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) arrested 14 people, including a female foreigner, following a raid in an online scam hub in Parañaque City.

CIDG director Brig. Gen. Christopher Abrahano said the operation also resulted in the rescue of a minor who was hired as one of the scammers in what he called ” online task job scam”.

“This underscores our unyielding fight against trafficking in persons, child abuse, and cybercrimes. With this, we significantly prevented future ‘online task job scam’ from happening,” he said.

Abrahano explained that the modus of the syndicate is to operate through the online messaging application “Telegram” where the suspects/scammers send links to their intended victims. Each suspect, he said, is assigned to 600 Telegram accounts to contact potential victims.

The CIDG chief said that once the link is accessed, the victims are directed to a so-called “task job,” which assigns simple online tasks such as liking the pages of hotel packages. After the completion of these tasks, the victims are instructed to open a Binance account – cryptocurrency account.

After creating the account, Abrahano said the scammers would require the victims to deposit funds into it. The victims are subsequently directed to transfer the deposited funds into a Binance account allegedly managed by the arrested Chinese manager.

“The scammers/suspects will lure victims that the transferred money will generate profit or accrue interest, promising continuous growth of the investment,” said Abrahano.

This misrepresentation forms the basis of the fraudulent scheme, ultimately leading to financial loss on the part of the victims,” he added.

During the raid in Barangay Tambo, CIDG operatives seized 70 desktop computers, cellular phones, computer peripherals, vault, dormitory pass IDs, and passports. They also discovered cryptocurrency account numbers.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, do you think there could still be a lot more online scam hubs operating secretly within the city? Do you think scamming in Parañaque will only get worse in the next six months?

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

Over 100 Chinese former POGO workers deported

June 21, 2025June 17, 2025carlocarrasco

Recently authorities here in the Philippines deported over one hundred Chinese nationals who previously worked for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), according to a news report by GMA News.

For the newcomers reading this, the Philippines still has many thousands of illegal aliens who previously worked in POGOs who are on the loose.

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

Some 100 Chinese individuals who worked for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) were deported to China on Tuesday.

According to Saleema Refran’s report on Balitanghali, they were deported at around 10:40 a.m.

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said China paid for the airfare of the deportees, with the goal of ensuring that they will not be able to escape.

“Importante kasi sa kanila ‘yan dahil marami silang nakukuhang impormasyon dito sa mga bosses kung paano sila nag o-operate, saan sila nag-o-operate, at anu-anong mga sistema sa money laundering ang ginagamit nila,” PAOCC Executive Director Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz said.

(It’s important to them because they get a lot of information from the bosses here. How they operate, where they operate, and what money laundering systems they use.)

“Ang ayaw kasi nila siyempre ‘yung hindi nakakarating sa China mismo ‘yung mga boss nitong operation ng POGO,” he added.

(What they really don’t want, of course, is for the bosses of these POGO operations to not arrive in China.)

Once in China, the deportees will undergo investigation for scamming, cybercrime, fraud, and money laundering.

Broken apart – Meanwhile, the Filipino partners and spouses of the deportees were emotional when saying their goodbyes, including one who even brought their six-month child.

“Sobrang sakit po kasi may anak po kami (It really hurts because we have a child),” one of the women said.

The mother is already in contact with the deportee’s family and China, and plans to follow him there with their daughter.

The former workers were arrested during anti-POGO operations in Cebu, Cavite, Parañaque, and Pasay.

They have been declared undesirable aliens due to lack of visas and work permits, and for working in illegal POGOs. Aside from these, they have also been blacklisted and can no longer return to the Philippines.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the authorities should do more apprehending the many illegal aliens (former POGO workers) still on the loose so that more will get deported? Are you concerned that there could be many Filipinos who became personally involved with foreigners who worked in POGOs?

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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Foreign fugitive arrested by immigration operatives in Parañaque City

March 15, 2025March 5, 2025carlocarrasco

Recently in Parañaque City, elements of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested a South Korean fugitive who has been hiding in the country for more than two years already, according to a GMA Network news report. The fugitive is wanted in South Korea for telecommunication fraud.

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

A South Korean fugitive wanted in his country for his alleged involvement in telecommunications fraud was arrested in Parañaque City.

Operatives of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) nabbed Park Seungeon, 24, along Bradco Avenue on February 27. He is now under BI custody and is detained at the warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, where he will remain pending deportation proceedings.

“He is also an overstaying alien as he had hidden in the country for more than two years to evade arrest and prosecution for his crimes,” BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said in a news release.

According to the BI, an Interpol red notice was issued against Park over a year ago after a warrant of arrest was issued against him by the Incheon district court in Seoul where he was indicted for fraud.

Korean authorities said that Park is a member of a telecom fraud syndicate who allegedly offered false low-interest debt consolidation loan to a victim from whom he fraudulent obtained and embezzled money amounting to more than 20.1 million won, or roughly US$14,000.

A check of his travel records showed that Park arrived in the Philippines as a tourist on August 2022 and has not departed since then.

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 a lot more foreign fugitives hiding within your local community?

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 20 foreigners in Parañaque City for illegal POGO operation

March 4, 2025March 1, 2025carlocarrasco

Recently in Parañaque City, elements of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested twenty foreigners who were caught operating a Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) at an Aseana City building, 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 National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Friday announced the arrest of 20 foreign nationals operating an illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hub in Parañaque City.

In a statement on Friday, the NBI said the suspects were arrested in an operation on Feb. 25 at Aseana 3, West Tower, 8912 Avenue, following a complaint of the wife of a Chinese national working for a POGO company operating under the trade name “LWE.”

She alleged that her husband, who worked as a customer service representative, was being held against his will by his employers.

During the operation, agents of the NBI Special Task Force uncovered a fully operational online scam hub.

The arrested foreigners have been charged before the city prosecutor’s office for violating Section 4(b)(1) (Social Engineering Schemes) of Republic Act (RA) 12010, or the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA) in relation to RA 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

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 a lot more POGOs and scam hubs operating secretly at the Aseana City buildings? What do you think makes Parañaque an attractive spot for scam operations and POGOs involving 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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Office building in Parañaque City raided, hundreds of employees arrested

February 22, 2025February 22, 2025carlocarrasco

Very recently in the City of Parañaque, a team of local law enforcers raided an office building in the Bay Area resulting in hundreds of suspected Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) employees – including 146 foreigners – getting arrested, 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…

Authorities arrested 453 illegal POGO employees in a raid in an office building in the Bay Area of Parañaque City on Thursday.

Operatives from the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Bureau of Immigration (BI), Department of Justice Office of Cybercrime (DOJ OOC) and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) enforced an arrest warrant against a Chinese national for fraud.

An Immigration Mission Order was also implemented as the subject is an employee of suspected POGO that has been under surveillance for the past months.

A total of 453 employees including 146 foreigners, mostly Chinese, were caught in front of their computers on the three floors of the building believed to be operating illegal offshore gaming and scamming activities.

“Dalawang taon na raw silang nag-o-operate and they never stopped. Galing daw sila ng ASEANA. Nung medyo uminit daw doon, lumipat daw sila dito,” PAOCC Spokesperson Director Winston Casio told GMA Integrated News.

Initial review of computer screens and interviews with Filipino employees revealed the different scams employed in the alleged POGO.

“Bawat floor, iba-ibang scam. Sa fifth floor at seventh floor, stock investment scam. Pero ang pinagkaiba dito sa seventh floor, may spamming na nagaganap using a Hong Kong mobile,” DOJ OOC Head Agent Innah Protacio-Ladislao said.

“Sa sixth floor is online betting scam. Particularly, target nila is Indian. Sa sixth floor, Filipino ang employees,” Protacio-Ladislao added.

Scripts for scamming were also found in workstations.

Authorities recovered hundreds of computers, laptops, smartphones, pre-registered SIM cards and other gadgets. The said items will be examined and will undergo digital forensics.

Based on information gathered, local authorities issued a closure order on the POGO after it was raided before.

It is now operating under a new name with a Mayor’s permit, business license and a barangay permit. These will form part of the investigation.

“Dapat kasi before they issue yung permits nila, yung sa barangay, yung sa city hall, dapat they do yung talagang religious inspection of the establishment,” PAOCC Executive Director Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz said.

“Kung ang permit nila is entertainment, are they really indulging yung kumpanya nila sa entertainment? O baka naman scamming yan tulad ng nangyayari dito?” Cruz added.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, do you think the City Government is ignoring the presence of POGOs within its jurisdiction? Do you think the Parañaque City Government and barangays should be more careful with reviewing business applications and ensure that no new POGOs will sprout?

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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Cybercrime complaints tripled in 2024, victims lost almost P200 million

February 11, 2025February 2, 2025carlocarrasco

Was there anyone in your local community who got scammed many times last year? Based on the findings of the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), cybercrime complaints more than tripled in 2024 and victims lost almost P200 million as well, according to a news article by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

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

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) on Friday said there were a total of 10,004 cybercrime complaints filed with their office in 2024, more than three times the 3,317 complaints in 2023.

In a statement Friday, CICC Executive Director Undersecretary Alexander Ramos said the total amount lost by cybercrime victims reached almost PHP198 million last year alone.

He attributed the exponential increase in the number of complaints to the growing awareness of the public on cybercrimes and their willingness to report.

“In previous years, people were not aware that they were being scammed and many were not also aware of where to file their complaints,” Ramos said.

Of the total, around 3,534 complaints, or 35 percent were consumer fraud, these include non-delivery of goods or services and fake advertisements.

On the other hand, there were 3,242 online fraud complaints, or 32 percent of the total. This includes financial fraud, impersonation, job scams, investment scams, and love scams.

Other types of complaints were unsolicited communication, illegal access, identity theft, sexual cybercrimes, phishing, and cyberlibel.

He added that GCash was the top wallet used by victims of consumer fraud, online fraud, and phishing, with a total loss of PHP76.49 million to its users.

Other financial platforms used by victims were BPI with PHP28.47 million losses, GoTyme with PHP15.38 million, and PayMaya with PHP13.99 million.

He called on victims of scams to call the government’s toll-free hotline at 1326.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Were you scammed in 2024? Do you think that banks and e-wallet companies should enhance security of their respective apps to protect their users from the cyber criminals and scammers? Do you personally know anyone who lost a lot of money because he or she got scammed while using GCash?

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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Malacañang declares February 13 a non-working day in Parañaque City in celebration of cityhood anniversary

February 2, 2025January 31, 2025carlocarrasco

Very recently, Malacañang Palace issued Proclamation Number 792 formally declaring the date of February 13, 2025 a non-working day in Parañaque City marking its 27^th cityhood anniversary, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. The proclamation was signed by Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin by the authority of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.

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

Malacañang has declared Feb. 13 a non-working holiday in Parañaque City in celebration of the city’s 27th Cityhood Anniversary.

Parañaque City Mayor Eric Olivarez said the declaration was made through Proclamation No. (792) to give city residents the opportunity to participate in and enjoy the celebration.

Olivarez said the city government prepared various activities, including medical services, from Jan. 27 to Feb. 15.

He said the cityhood anniversary kicked off with the presentation of candidates for the much-awaited search for “Gandang Mamita and Gwapitong Papito” on Monday, Jan. 27. The search for the “Ginoo and Binibining Parañaque” will be held on Feb. 4.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Parañaque City, what is your reaction to this recent development? How interested are you to participate or witness the scheduled activities related to the 27^th anniversary of Parañaque’s cityhood? Do you think the 27^th cityhood anniversary will help you forget about the rampant crime in Parañaque that involved 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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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 engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

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