The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested seven Chinese nationals for their role in a recently exposed scamming operation.
An operation was launched following a complaint received by the NBI-Cybercrime Division (CCD) on December 11, which alleged that an individual was being illegally detained and forced to provide services against her will.
The operation took place in Parañaque City, where operatives successfully rescued the alleged trafficking victim.
Furthermore, NBI officials discovered an operational setup in one of the rooms at the location where the victim was rescued.
The setup included multiple desktop computers, mobile phones, SIM cards, written scripts, and customer ledgers. It initially indicated that individuals using the establishment were involved in scamming activities.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago reported that during a controlled viewing and examination of the desktops used by individuals at the location, several scripts, messaging apps with fictitious accounts, bank accounts, and fraudulent cryptocurrency investment platforms were clearly visible.
This strongly indicated that the individuals operating these devices were involved in fraudulent activities.
Additionally, the discovered scripts and tools are reportedly used in various scams, including catfishing, credit card fraud, cryptocurrency scams, and fake investment schemes, among others.
The suspects were apprehended in the act for violating the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2022, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act, and the Domestic Workers Act.
