NBI raids alleged scam hub in Makati; 17 foreigners nabbed

Seventeen foreign nationals were arrested after operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation-Cybercrime Division conducted a raid on a suspected scam hub in Makati City on Friday night.

Most of them were Chinese, authorities said.

By virtue of a search warrant, the NBI operatives swooped down on a building in Makati City said to be a hub for foreigners involved in various scamming activities.

Authorities found more than 20 workstations in the five-storey building.

There were also rooms with the sign "Couple Room" meant for foreign nationals and their partners. Each room had its own restroom and bed.

The commissary was located at the rooftop and the dishes are just brought down to the rooms. This is so the alleged scammers do not need to leave the building, authorities said.

Aside from computers, SIM cards and cellphones, authorities also recovered notebooks containing scripts for various scams.

The NBI said the computers will be subjected to forensic examination to determine how long these have been operating in the area.

Some Filipinos were also arrested. However they said they have no knowledge of the alleged illegal activities being conducted in the building.

One stay-in kitchen staff who was been working at the building for the past six months told GMA Integrated News that the only thing they would see were computers whenever they would bring down food.

The arrested foreign nationals were brought to the NBI office. —Jhomer Apresto/KG, GMA Integrated News