Latest news with #GilbertoCruz
Voice of America
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Voice of America
Philippine police arrest more than 450 in raid on alleged 'Chinese-run' scam center
Philippine police arrested more than 450 people in a raid on an allegedly Chinese-run offshore gaming operator in Manila, the country's anti-organized crime commission has said. Initial interrogations suggested the suburban site had been operating as a scam center, targeting victims in China and India with sports betting and investment schemes, the commission said after the Thursday raid, which saw 137 Chinese nationals detained. "We arrested around five Chinese bosses," commission chief Gilberto Cruz told AFP on Friday, adding they faced potential trafficking charges. Banned by President Ferdinand Marcos last year, Philippine online gaming operators, or POGOs, are said to be used as cover by organized crime groups for human trafficking, money laundering, online fraud, kidnappings and even murder. "This raid proves that the previous POGO workers are still trying to continue their scamming activities despite the ban," Cruz said. He previously told AFP that about 21,000 Chinese nationals have continued to operate smaller-scale scam operations in the country since the online gaming ban. International concern has grown in recent years over similar scam operations in other Asian nations that are often staffed by trafficking victims tricked or coerced into promoting bogus cryptocurrency investments and other cons. President Marcos has put POGOs at the center of recent campaign messaging in the run-up to May mid-term elections, framing predecessor Rodrigo Duterte's alleged tolerance of the sites as evidence of a too-cozy relationship with China. Thursday's raid is the latest in a series of busts this year, including one in January that saw some 400 foreigners arrested in the capital, including many Chinese nationals. The Washington-based think tank United States Institute of Peace said in a May 2024 report that online scammers target millions of victims around the world and rake in annual revenues of $64 billion.
South China Morning Post
21-02-2025
- South China Morning Post
5 Chinese bosses among 450 arrested in Philippine scam farm raid
Published: 11:30am, 21 Feb 2025 Philippine police arrested more than 450 people in a raid on an allegedly Chinese-run offshore gaming operator in Manila, the country's anti-organised crime commission has said. Initial interrogations suggested the suburban site had been operating as a scam centre, targeting victims in China and India with sports betting and investment schemes, the commission said after the Thursday raid, which saw 137 Chinese nationals detained. 'We arrested around five Chinese bosses,' commission chief Gilberto Cruz said on Friday, adding they faced potential trafficking charges. Banned by President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr last year, Philippine online gaming operators, or Pogos , are said to be used as cover by organised crime groups for human trafficking, money laundering, online fraud, kidnappings and even murder. 'This raid proves that the previous Pogo workers are still trying to continue their scamming activities despite the ban,' Cruz said. He previously said that about 21,000 Chinese nationals have continued to operate smaller-scale scam operations in the country since the online gaming ban.
Arab News
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Philippine police arrest over 450 in ‘Chinese-run' scam center raid
MANILA: Philippine police arrested more than 450 people in a raid on an allegedly Chinese-run offshore gaming operator in Manila, the country's anti-organized crime commission has said. Initial interrogations suggested the suburban site had been operating as a scam center, targeting victims in China and India with sports betting and investment schemes, the commission said after the Thursday raid, which saw 137 Chinese nationals detained. 'We arrested around five Chinese bosses,' commission chief Gilberto Cruz told AFP on Friday, adding they faced potential trafficking charges. Banned by President Ferdinand Marcos last year, Philippine online gaming operators, or POGOs, are said to be used as cover by organized crime groups for human trafficking, money laundering, online fraud, kidnappings and even murder. 'This raid proves that the previous POGO workers are still trying to continue their scamming activities despite the ban,' Cruz said. He previously told AFP that about 21,000 Chinese nationals have continued to operate smaller-scale scam operations in the country since the online gaming ban. International concern has grown in recent years over similar scam operations in other Asian nations that are often staffed by trafficking victims tricked or coerced into promoting bogus cryptocurrency investments and other cons. President Marcos has put POGOs at the center of recent campaign messaging in the run-up to May mid-term elections, framing predecessor Rodrigo Duterte's alleged tolerance of the sites as evidence of a too-cozy relationship with China. Thursday's raid is the latest in a series of busts this year, including one in January that saw around 400 foreigners arrested in the capital, including many Chinese nationals. The Washington-based think tank United States Institute of Peace said in a May 2024 report that online scammers target millions of victims around the world and rake in annual revenues of $64 billion.
Arab News
31-01-2025
- Arab News
Philippines arrests 100 suspects in online scam farm raid
MANILA: Philippine authorities arrested around 100 people on Friday in a raid on a suspected online scam farm in Manila they said extorted raid in the Makati financial district was part of a crackdown against online crime operators that often act under the guise of gaming from the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, or PAOCC, and the National Bureau of Investigation, armed with assault rifles, surrounded two offices of a lending agency and arrested the suspects as they worked side-by-side at suspects, many of them young Filipinos, allegedly sought out victims via TikTok and other social media, offering collateral-free loans of up to 25,000 pesos ($428).Borrowers were charged 35 percent weekly interest and those who fell behind on payments were harassed, humiliated and threatened with having their personal information spread online, PAOCC director Gilberto Cruz told reporters at the scene.'Some of those they harassed developed mental problems, others fell into depression, and there have even been some suicide incidents that occurred because of the harassment perpetrated by these people,' Cruz suspects could be charged with fraud and other violations under the country's cybercrime laws, he added. The raided company, Wewill Tech Corp., required victims to provide personal information and family photographs, which the scammers then used for threats, according to victims of similar scams have reported having coffins and funeral wreaths delivered to their homes, he are checking the nationality of the owners, Cruz said, adding that they had arrested Chinese suspects running similar operations in the scam farm owners are suspected to be remnants of online gaming operators that were banned under orders of President Ferdinand Marcos last year, he said.'Most of their keyboard workers are Filipino' and communicated with victims in the local language, Cruz told reporters.'What is frightening here is it is Filipinos who are harassing and defrauding their fellow Filipinos,' he United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has tagged Southeast Asia as 'ground zero' of global scamming operations that the authorities say are run mainly by Chinese-origin crime organizations.
Khaleej Times
31-01-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Philippines: 100 individuals arrested in online scam farm raid in Manila
Philippine authorities arrested around 100 people on Friday in a raid on a suspected online scam farm in Manila they said extorted victims. The raid in the Makati financial district was part of a crackdown against online crime operators that often act under the guise of gaming firms. Agents from the Presidential Anti-Organised Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the National Bureau of Investigation, armed with assault rifles, surrounded two offices of a lending agency and arrested the suspects as they worked side-by-side at computers. The suspects, many of them young Filipinos, allegedly sought out victims via TikTok and other social media, offering collateral-free loans of up to 25,000 pesos ($428). Borrowers were charged 35 per cent weekly interest and those who fell behind on payments were harassed, humiliated, and threatened with having their personal information spread online, PAOCC director Gilberto Cruz told reporters at the scene. "Some of those they harassed developed mental problems, others fell into depression, and there have even been some suicide incidents that occurred because of the harassment perpetrated by these people," Cruz said. The suspects could be charged with fraud and other violations under the country's cybercrime laws, he added. The raided company, Wewill Tech Corp., required victims to provide personal information and family photographs, which the scammers then used for threats, according to Cruz. Some victims of similar scams have reported having coffins and funeral wreaths delivered to their homes, he said. Authorities are checking the nationality of the owners, Cruz said, adding that they had arrested Chinese suspects running similar operations in the past. The scam farm owners are suspected to be remnants of online gaming operators that were banned under orders of President Ferdinand Marcos last year, he said.
