Rapper, Singer Girlfriend, and 17 Others Arrested for Vishing Scam.
A popular rapper, his singer girlfriend, and 17 others were apprehended in Imus, Cavite, for their involvement in a voice phishing (vishing) scam. According to police reports, the rapper, known as "Boy," revealed that he was recruited by the group's leader, "Mamita," who has been operating the scam for 11 years.
Boy explained that he joined the group due to inconsistent income from other sources and was unaware of the scam's nature when presented with the opportunity. Authorities estimated the group's weekly earnings from the illegal activities to be around P5 million.
The PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) conducted a raid on the rented house serving as the scam hub. The suspects were engaged in calling victims under the guise of bank representatives, tricking them into updating their cards.
Unbeknownst to the victims, the scammers were siphoning money from their bank accounts. During the raid, authorities seized various items used to deceive victims, including SIM cards, mobile devices, laptops, bank documents, ledgers, scripts, and credit card application forms.
The PNP-ACG has conducted four vishing hub raids between June and August of this year. In addition to the arrests in Imus, nine suspects were apprehended in General Trias and Trece Martires, Cavite, while eleven were caught in Taguig.
The suspects will face charges under the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA), recently signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. They will also be charged with violating the Access Devices Regulation Act, Data Privacy Act, and Cybercrime Prevention Act.
0 Comments