6 Chinese arrested in Pampanga over alleged scams, cybercrime

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Friday announced that it has arrested six Chinese in Angeles City, Pampanga over their alleged involvement in online scams and related cyber offenses.

According to a statement on Friday, operatives of the NBI-Cybercrime Division and the NBI-Technical Intelligence Division arrested the six Chinese in a country club for violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 and the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act.

The subjects were presented for inquest at the Department of Justice, the NBI said.

NBI Director Jaime Santiago said agents conducted the operation after the Naval Intelligence and Security Group asked the bureau for assistance in serving warrants against three individuals who were wanted for trafficking.

The NBI then planned to arrest one of them in the country club, but he was not found in the premises during the operation.

Instead, operatives found the six Chinese as well as various desktop computers, phones, SIM cards, scripts, and customer ledgers during the operation.

Also found at the scene were romance scam scripts, messaging applications with fictitious accounts, bank accounts, and fraudulent cryptocurrency investment platforms from the desktop computers' interface.

Santiago said the recovered items were "suggesting that the individuals using these devices are engaged in fraudulent activities globally." — VDV, GMA Integrated News