6 Chinese nationals, huling nagsasagawa ng cybercrime activities | 24 Oras

GMA Integrated News

16 Aug 202402:40

Summary

TLDRThe NBI conducted a follow-up raid in Angeles, Pampanga, following an earlier operation in Kawit, Cavite targeting an online scam operation. Six Chinese nationals were caught operating various fraudulent activities, including crypto phishing, investment fraud, and text spamming. The suspects, previously linked to a POGO group, had entered the country as tourists and were found to have acquired properties under the names of Filipino accomplices to avoid detection. They now face charges under the Cybercrime Prevention Act, economic sabotage, and financial fraud laws.

Takeaways

🔍 The NBI conducted a raid in an exclusive subdivision in Angeles, Pampanga, following an operation related to the L scam.
👮‍♂️ Six Chinese nationals were arrested during the raid, three men and three women, who were operating various online fraud schemes.
💻 The suspects were found operating computers on the second floor of a villa, using scripts for their fraudulent activities.
📚 The NBI's Cyber Crime Division executed a search warrant, leading to the discovery of the operation.
🌐 The arrested individuals were involved in global fraudulent activities, targeting both local and international victims.
🔗 The suspects were linked to previous arrests of 24 Filipinos and five Chinese in a related L scam operation in Kawit, Cavite on August 10.
🏠 It was mentioned that the Chinese nationals had purchased properties and vehicles in the Philippines, using Filipino aliases to avoid attention.
📈 The suspects were involved in various scams including crypto fraud, investment fraud, and text spam, indicating a wide range of fraudulent activities.
☁️ The group used cloud-based storage, suggesting that their operations could be accessed from anywhere using credentials.
🛂 The Chinese nationals were originally from POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) but entered the country as tourists, highlighting potential immigration issues.
📖 The NBI is investigating the suspects for possible violations of the Cyber Crime Prevention Act, Economic Sabotage, and Anti-Money Laundering laws.

Q & A

What operation was conducted by the NBI in Kawit, Cavite?
-The NBI conducted a raid in Kawit, Cavite related to the L scam operation.
How many Chinese nationals were arrested in the Angeles, Pampanga raid?
-Six Chinese nationals were arrested in the Angeles, Pampanga raid.
What were the Chinese nationals engaged in, according to the NBI?
-The Chinese nationals were engaged in various online scam activities, including crypto, fishing, investment fraud, and text spam messages.
What did the NBI's cyber crime division find upon entering the villa in Angeles, Pampanga?
-The NBI's cyber crime division found the suspects operating their computers on the second floor of the villa, using scripts for their fraudulent activities.
What was the connection between the arrested Chinese nationals and the L scam?
-The arrested Chinese nationals were part of the same scam operation that led to the arrest of 24 Filipinos and five Chinese in Kawit, Cavite on August 10.
How does the cloud-based storage system factor into the operations of the Chinese nationals?
-The cloud-based storage system allowed the Chinese nationals to access their data from anywhere, as long as they had the necessary credentials.
What were the charges against the Chinese nationals who were previously involved in POGO?
-The Chinese nationals were charged with economic sabotage and violations of the Anti-Money Laundering Act.
How did the Chinese nationals enter the Philippines?
-The Chinese nationals entered the Philippines as tourists and later purchased properties and vehicles, using Filipino aliases to avoid attention.
What was the immediate action taken by the NBI after the raid in Angeles, Pampanga?
-The NBI attempted to confiscate the passports of the arrested Chinese nationals to prevent them from leaving the country.
What was the context behind the NBI's operation, as mentioned in the script?
-The operation was conducted following the pronouncement by the President to ban all POGO operations in the country.
What was the role of John Consulta in the reporting of this incident?
-John Consulta was the reporter who focused on the details of the NBI's operation against the Chinese nationals involved in online scams.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 NBI Raids Cybercrime Operation in Angeles, Pampanga

Following a raid in Kawit, Cavite related to the L scam operation, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) conducted another raid on a house in Angeles, Pampanga, where they arrested six Chinese nationals involved in various online fraud schemes. The NBI's cybercrime division entered the exclusive subdivision with a search warrant and found the suspects operating on the second floor of the house. The individuals were using scripts for online scams including crypto-fraud, investment fraud, and text spam messages, targeting both local and international victims. The operation was a follow-up to a previous raid where 24 Filipinos and five Chinese were arrested in connection with the L scam on August 10. The suspects were found to be involved in massive fraud activities globally, using cloud-based storage for their operations, which can be accessed anywhere with the right credentials. The NBI's Finance and Money Laundering department is investigating the group, which allegedly entered the country as tourists and have since purchased properties and vehicles under Filipino aliases to avoid detection. The operation was prompted by the president's pronouncement in Binan, and the arrested Chinese claimed ignorance of their passports' whereabouts. The NBI is also attempting to gather evidence for further arrests under the Cybercrime Prevention Act, Economic Sabotage, and Anti-Money Laundering Act.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡NBI

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is the Philippines' premier investigating and prosecuting agency for crimes. In the context of the video, the NBI is conducting raids and operations against cybercrimes, as evidenced by the raid in Angeles, Pampanga, where they arrested several individuals involved in online scams.

💡L scam

The 'L scam' refers to a type of online fraud where victims are lured into investing in fake opportunities, often related to cryptocurrencies or other get-rich-quick schemes. The video mentions an operation related to the L scam, highlighting the NBI's efforts to combat such scams.

💡Cyber crime

Cyber crime involves illegal activities carried out using electronic devices or the internet. The video discusses the NBI's cyber crime division, which is actively involved in investigating and apprehending individuals involved in online scams and frauds, such as those arrested in the Angeles, Pampanga raid.

💡Chinese National

The term 'Chinese National' in the script refers to individuals of Chinese nationality who were arrested in the operation. They were involved in various types of online fraud, illustrating the international nature of cybercrime and the NBI's efforts to apprehend foreign nationals involved in such activities.

💡Crypto

Crypto refers to cryptocurrencies, which are digital or virtual currencies that use cryptography for security. The video mentions 'crypto' in the context of investment fraud, indicating that one of the scams involved tricking people into investing in fake cryptocurrency schemes.

💡Fishing

In the context of the video, 'fishing' likely refers to 'phishing,' a type of cyber fraud where criminals pose as trustworthy entities to trick people into revealing sensitive information, such as login credentials or financial details. It is mentioned as one of the types of online fraud the arrested individuals were involved in.

💡Text spam

Text spam refers to the sending of unsolicited messages, often in bulk, to promote products, services, or scams. The video mentions text spam messages as part of the fraudulent activities conducted by the individuals arrested by the NBI.

💡Cloud storage

Cloud storage is a service that allows users to store and access data over the internet. The video mentions that the suspects used cloud-based storage, which can be accessed from anywhere, indicating the global reach and flexibility of their fraudulent operations.

💡POGO

POGO stands for 'Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators.' In the video, it is mentioned that some of the arrested Chinese individuals came to the country as tourists but were involved in online gambling operations, which is a common cover for illegal activities in the Philippines.

💡Economic sabotage

Economic sabotage refers to actions that intentionally disrupt the economy or financial stability of a country. The video suggests that the NBI is investigating the arrested individuals for possible economic sabotage, indicating the severity of their alleged crimes.

💡Anti-Money Laundering

Anti-Money Laundering (AML) refers to the policies and procedures designed to prevent the conversion of illegally obtained funds into legitimate assets. The video mentions the NBI's Finance and Money Laundering department, suggesting that the arrested individuals may have been involved in money laundering activities.

Highlights

A raid was conducted in Kawit, Cavite, related to the L scam operation on Saturday.

Another house in Angeles, Pampanga was raided by the NBI, resulting in the arrest of six Chinese nationals.

The individuals were found to be involved in various types of online scams targeting a person named John Consulta.

The NBI cyber crime division entered an exclusive subdivision in Angeles, Pampanga with a search warrant.

On the second floor of the house, the NBI found the suspects operating their computers.

The six Chinese nationals, three men and three women, were caught in the act of their fraudulent activities.

The scripts used for their scams were recovered during the raid.

This follow-up operation was a result of a previous raid on August 10 where 24 Filipinos and five Chinese were arrested for the L scam in Kawit, Cavite.

The arrested Chinese nationals are involved in crypto, fishing, investment fraud, and text spam messages.

Their activities have a massive front activity globally, targeting both local and international victims.

The suspects' storage is cloud-based, allowing access from anywhere with the right credentials.

The NBI's Finance and Money Laundering department is investigating the Chinese group's activities.

The group's members were previously involved in POGO but entered the country as tourists.

It is alleged that they have also purchased properties and vehicles under Filipino aliases to avoid detection.

The operation was conducted following the president's pronouncement to ban all illegal operations.

One of the arrested Chinese claimed not to know the whereabouts of their passports.

The suspects are being charged with violations of the Cyber Crime Prevention Act, Economic Sabotage, and Anti-Money Laundering Act.

John Consulta, the person targeted in the scam, is a consultant featured on 24 Oras news.