Five South Korean members of a syndicate allegedly using text scams to defraud have een arrested, after authorities in Parañaque City completed an operation. The money the suspects obtain from the victims will reach more than P1 billion.
Bureau of Immigration-Fugitive Search Unit, Philippine National Police Criminal ,Investigation and Detection Group at South Korean Police caught the five South Korean fugitives in an exclusive subdivision in Parañaque City.
The FSU said the Korean criminal syndicate is conducting its operation in the Philippines using text scams to victimize fellow Koreans.
“Nagpapadala sila ng mga text sa kanilang mga biktima na may kasamang link at kapag kinlick (click) itong link na ito ay mag-i-install ng malware sa kanilang cellphone kung saan mamo-monitor nila ang activity ng kanilang biktima sa cellphone,” said BI FSU chief Rendel Sy.
(They send texts to their victims that include a link, and when they click this link will install malware on their cellphones where they can monitor their victim’s cellphone activity.)
The authorities continue to find out if there are any victims in the Philippines.
5 South Koreans allegedly operating text scam syndicates arrested
“Iniimbestigahan din natin, kasama ang ating CIDG, ang koneksiyon nila dito sa local kasi ‘yung mga ginagawa nilang pang-scam ay madalas na ring makita natin sa ating mga local,” said Sy.
(We are also investigating, together with our CIDG, their connection here locally because the scams they do are often seen in our locals.)
The arrested Koreans have not yet issued a statement.
Their deportation is being processed.
In November 2021, the National Privacy Commission (NPC) warned the public against the increasing number of spam text messages that offer jobs with high salaries. They believed an organized international syndicate was behind it.
Based on their preliminary investigation, at the Laging Handa briefing, Privacy Commissioner Raymund Liboro said they did not see any direct evidence linking the possibility of a “leak” in contact tracing forms to the proliferation of spam text messages.
The NPC suspects that an organized international or global syndicate is behind the random spam text messages.