The Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) recently raided a suspected voice phishing, or “vishing,” den in Imus, Cavite.
The operation was initiated after confirmed intelligence reports revealed the existence of an online scamming hub in the province.
According to PNP-ACG Director Brig. Gen. Ronnie Francis Cariaga, vishing is a fraudulent activity where scammers pose as bank representatives, calling victims and convincing them to update their old cards by providing sensitive bank account details, such as credit card numbers and one-time pins (OTPs).
The suspects allegedly used information obtained from credit card applications and ledgers or spreadsheets sourced from third-party service providers, such as Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies.
These details were then exploited by the scammers to access and steal money from their victims.
The raid resulted in the arrest of 19 individuals, including two well-known vloggers with thousands of followers. Various equipment used in their illegal activities was also confiscated.
The arrested suspects will face charges for violating the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA), recently signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Additionally, they will be charged under the Access Devices Regulation Act of 1998 and the Data Privacy Act of 2012, in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act.