The Philippine National Police Anti-Cyber-crime Group (PNP-ACG) have arrested eight Israeli nationals involved in an multi-million dollar online scam.
QUEZON CITY, Philippines – The Philippine National Police (PNP) Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) arrested on Wednesday, June 6, eight Israeli nationals responsible for the operation of a multi-million dollar investment scam.
Authorities also arrested 474 Filipinos who worked as employees in a call center-like facility at Freeport Zone in Clark City, Pampanga used by the suspects as their office.
According to PNP-ACG Chief PCSupt. Marni Marcos, the suspects enticed investors to their alleged stock exchange business for an initial investment of US$250 dollars. Their potential victims were mostly foreigners, specifically based in Australia. Unknown to the victims, the suspects were actually after their personal information for them to access the victims’ bank accounts.
“They will ask you to download a team viewer wherein (with) that team viewer you cannot control anymore your computer. So the transfer of money will be done through online,” Marcos said.
Marcos added that the syndicate earned around $1 million US dollars in one day from their transactions. The latest transactions earned them $2 million US dollars from three Australian victims. One of three Australians reported them to the police which prompted their arrest.
“I’m convinced by clicking on an icon that said Bitcoin. The Bitcoin opened and I quickly closed it. But the next minute I got a call from FGO encouraging me to stocks, to invest in this wonderful scam of them. He said it will just cost you 250 US dollars. And I did so. The next day, it’s 10,000 dollars. I said, ‘10,000 dollars? I don’t have (it.)’ They said, ‘You have to find it (because) we have team viewer looking in your account,’ Australian victim Jan Theresa Bedggood recalled.
Another victim, Juningsih Welford, said he already lost half a million Australian dollars to the scam.
“When I was doing this trading, quick money, I wanted to withdraw. But all you can withdraw is $3,000. You put money then withdraw (but) now I can’t withdraw one cent. My trading went up then all of a sudden, it went down. I was losing a lot of money… up to half a million Australian dollars,” Welford said.
Based on the investigation of the PNP-ACG, the syndicate has been operating inside the Freeport Zone for two years now, without proper documentation and business permits.
The suspects are set to undergo inquest proceedings as they face charges of large-scale syndicated estafa. – Lea Ylagan / Marje Pelayo
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