OPERATIVES of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) arrested a Chinese and 13 Filipinos in Parañaque City for financial fraud and human trafficking.
The CIDG said a seven-year-old female minor was rescued during the raid, which was conducted last Thursday at the Bayport West Garden Residences in NAIA Road, Barangay Tambo.
“The rescued female minor was turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for appropriate intervention and disposition,” the CIDG said in a statement yesterday.
The raid was carried out by virtue of a search warrant for violation of RA 9208, or the Anti-Human Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, as amended by RA 10364, or the Expanded Human Trafficking Act of 2012, and the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA).
“These individuals were caught while doing the ‘online task job scam’,” the CIDG said, adding that all 14 suspects are facing charges for violation of the AFASA.
The Chinese, identified only as alias Bettie, and one of the Filipino suspects are facing an additional case for human trafficking.
Seized during the operation were assorted information communication technology devices, including 70 desktop computers, cellular phones, computer peripherals; a vault, dormitory pass identification cards, and passports.
The CIDG said the group typically operates through the online messaging application Telegram where the suspects send links to their intended victims.
“Each suspect is assigned to 600 Telegram accounts to contact potential victims,” it said.
“Once the link is accessed, the victims are directed to a so-called ‘task job,’ which assigns simple online tasks such as liking the pages of hotel packages,” it also said.
The victims are later instructed to open a Binance account or cryptocurrency account, after which, “upon successfully creating the account, the scammers then require the victims to deposit funds into it. The victims are subsequently directed to transfer the deposited funds into a Binance account allegedly managed by the arrested Chinese manager.”
The CIDG said the suspects lure victims into transferring their money to generate profit or accrue interest, promising continuous growth of the investment.
“This misrepresentation forms the basis of the fraudulent scheme, ultimately leading to financial loss on the part of the victims,” it said.
CIDG director Brig. Gen. Christopher Abrahano said the successful operation underscores the government’s “unyielding fight against trafficking in persons, child abuse, and cybercrimes.”
