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100 suspects arrested in online scam farm raid in Philippines

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.

Hanoi (VNA) – Philippine authorities have arrested around 100 people in a raid on a suspected online scam farm in Manila.

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 Wewill Tech Corp - a lending agency and arrested the suspects as they worked side-by-side at computers.

The suspects, many of whom are young Filipinos, allegedly sought out victims via TikTok and other social media, offering collateral-free loans of up to 25,000 PHP (428 USD).

PAOCC Director Gilberto Cruz said that borrowers were charged 35% weekly interest and those who fell behind on payments were harassed, humiliated and threatened with having their personal information spread online.

Wewill Tech Corp., required victims to provide personal information and family photographs, which the scammers then used for threats.

According to the PAOCC, some victims of similar scams have reported having coffins and funeral wreaths delivered to their homes. Some of the harassed victims got mental problems, fell into depression, or event got suicide.

Authorities are checking the nationality of the owners of the Wewill Tech Corp.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has tagged Southeast Asia as ground zero of global scamming operations./.

VNA
#Philippines #online scam farm #Presidential Anti-Organised Crime Commission #United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Philippines
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