POGO 'scam center' raided in Makati, but 600 foreign targets not found

Authorities on Thursday evening raided 21 floors of an office skyscraper along Ayala Avenue in the middle of the Makati Central Business District upon receiving reports of alleged Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) scam activities, but the officials and employees of these enterprises were nowhere to be found.

Local authorities from the Makati Business Permits and Licensing Office (Makati BPLO) led the raid with operatives from the Makati Police, Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), Department of Justice Office of Cybercrime (DOJ-OOC) and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).

They launched the operation after receiving information that several Internet Gaming Licensees (IGLs) were still doing business in the building despite the government's POGO ban.

"Ang intel namin dito talagang nag-o-operate ito bilang POGO operation, scamming center ito. That's 21 companies, may iba-ibang pangalan and with different names din ng may-ari," PAOCC Executive Director Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz told reporters in an interview during the raid.

(Our intel showed that POGO operations are done here; that it’s a scamming center. That's 21 companies with different corporate names and different listed owners.)

The building is said to be one of the first offices to house POGOs in the Philippines.

"Dito nagsimula 'yung mga maliliit na POGO. And then hanggang sa maglagay na sila ng mga malalaking POGO, 'yung the likes of 'yung POGO hub nila mayor Alice Guo, and the one in Porac, at saka 'yung mga malalaki nating nakikita," Cruz said.

(This is where smaller POGOs came from. Later, bigger POGOs arose, similar to the POGO hub of former mayor Alice Guo, the one in Porac in Pampanga, and the big ones that we have seen so far.)

According to intelligence reports, some 600 foreigners were believed to be operating scam operations on different floors of the building.

However, authorities only found abandoned workstations and office spaces.

"Ang tinitignan namin dito kasi mga 600, pataas 'yung makukuha natin na foreigners. Natunugan nila that's why pagdating natin wala na tayong dinatnang tao,” Cruz said.

(We were looking to find some 600 or more foreigners. But they got wind of our operation that's why they were no longer here when we arrived.)

PAOCC said there were indications that the workers left in a hurry as some rooms were found in disarray.

Electrical circuit breakers on some floors were turned off, but the rooms were still cold from the airconditioning when the raiding team arrived.

Food and pots of herbal tea, meanwhile, were still warm.

"Ang kuwento ng mga tao sa baba is mga 4 o'clock to 5 o'clock nagtatakbuhan daw pababa itong mga tao," Cruz said.

(People downstairs said employees were running down at around 4 o'clock to 5 o'clock.)

The operation was conducted around 6 p.m.

"Alam nilang iligal ang kanilang ginagawa kasi nagtakbuhan sila eh. Kasi kung legal sila, hihintayin nila tayo. Kasi ang ating inisyal na punta rito is inspection based on BPLO permit, mission order," PNP-CIDG Director Police Major General Nicolas Torre III added.

(They know that what they're doing is illegal because they ran. If they are legal, then they would wait for us. Our operation is initially for inspection based on the BPLO permit, mission order.)

The PNP-CIDG will request necessary warrants for digital forensics of the hundreds of computers, cellphones, One-Time PIN (OTP) generators, hard drives, and other gadgets the staff left behind.

However, initial inspection of the DOJ Office of Cybercrime indicated signs of scam operations.

"Marami kaming nakitang iba't ibang uri ng script. Script na investment scam siya," DOJ-OOC Head Agent Inna Protacio-Ladislao said.

(We found different types of scripts, like those for investment scams.)

Protacio-Ladislao also said presence of OTP generators usually indicated scamming via online wallets and bank accounts.

The scripts, written in English, also indicated a more disturbing emerging phenomenon in scam hubs—Filipinos, not just foreigners, are engaged for illegal activities.

"Usually kapag English ang mga notebook, Pinoy ang mga empleyado (If the words in recovered notebooks are written in English, that usually means Pinoys are the employees)," she added.

Also during the raid, a Chinese who claimed to have been part of the raided Lucky South99 POGO in Porac, Pampanga surrendered to authorities.

He will be subjected to verification, profiling and possible deportation by the Bureau of Immigration and the Chinese Embassy in Manila.

Cruz said the said Chinese will also undergo investigation regarding his knowledge on POGO operations.

Meanwhile, a building administration official denied that POGO and scamming activities exist in the building.

"Ang alam ko, wala. None. I can vouch for it kasi 'yung mga contracts naman namin are in place. All documents are in order," she said.

(As far as I know, there is none. I can vouch for it because our contracts are in place. All documents are in order.) — VDV, GMA Integrated News