NBI uncovers online lending collection scam

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said on Friday that it uncovered an online lending collection scam involving two establishments in Pasay City.

According to the NBI, the two establishments would extort money from their clients using various methods through their personal information controller, which is a person or organization that controls the processing of personal data.

“Nag-try siya umutang dito... ‘yun ang lending company… nakabayad na siya ng lahat pero naka tanggap pa rin siya ng pananakot. So, nag reklamo siya sa NBI at ‘yun nga nag-conduct kami ng follow up,” NBI Director Jaime Santiago said in a media briefing.

(The complainant got a loan from the lending company… Even after she paid, she received threatening messages. So, she complained to the NBI, and we conducted a follow-up.)

John Bacho, the lead investigator in the operation, said the complainant downloaded the application through the play store.

“Makalipas ang ilang linggo, nag bayad po siya and then was surprised when she received messages [and] phone calls threatening and harassing her,” Bacho said.

(After one week, she was able to pay and then she was surprised when she received messages and phone calls threatening and harassing her.)

“Isa po sa natanggap niyang message, ang sinabi ho sa kanya, 'Hoy, yakapin mo na lahat ng mahal mo sa buhay, sisiguraduhin ko sayong pag sisihan mo ‘yan. Tinakasan mo ang utang mo, taga mo sa bato. Nagkamali ka ng binangga. Ang mali mo nag iwan ka ng impormasyon,” he added.

(In one of the messages she received, she was told to hug her loved ones as they would make sure that she would regret what she did, that she ran from her debt, and that she should count on it. She was told that she was on the bad side of the wrong person and that she made the mistake of leaving her personal information.)

Bacho said other clients would sometimes be sent coffins and funeral flowers.

Through their investigation, the NBI was able to identify and locate who was operating the scam.

This led to the arrest of a Chinese citizen for violation of Section 25 of RA 10173 (Data Privacy Act of 2012) in relation to Section 6 of RA 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012) and Section 4(a1) of RA 10175.

Following the arrest, the suspect was brought to the NBI-NCR Office, was medically examined, and was subsequently booked, photographed, and fingerprinted.

Meanwhile, Bacho said that the collection agents of the companies said they were forced into the scam. They said that they were initially recruited as regular collection agents.

“Ang sabi ho sa kanila, taga follow up lang sila, taga singil ng utang. Ngayon nung nag start na sila mag work for the company, na gulat sila at binigyan sila ng script kung paano sisingilin ‘yung mga borrowers,” he said.

(They were told that they would only follow up and collect payments from clients. After they started working for the company, they were surprised to be given a script on how they would collect money from borrowers.)

“When we interviewed them, tinanong namin bakit nila ginagawa ‘yun at according ho sa kanila, they were being verbally and physically abused kung hindi nila maabot ‘yung kanilang quota na dapat singilin for the day,” he added.

(When we interviewed them, we asked them why they did that, and according to them, they were being verbally and physically abused if they failed to reach their quota for the day.)

Bacho said the collection agents were now the NBI’s cooperating witnesses who would testify against the company.

Investigators also retrieved 33 smartphones, 32 computers, a laptop, a USB containing CCTV footage, a set of documents, and a set of lease contracts as evidence. — DVM, GMA Integrated News