NBI arrests 5 Koreans, 6 Vietnamese in separate cybercrime operations

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Tuesday announced the arrest of five South Korean nationals and six Vietnamese nationals in separate operations in Pampanga, Cavite, and Makati City over alleged online fraud and illegal gaming activities.

The NBI said five South Koreans were arrested in separate operations in Pampanga and Cavite over alleged illegal online game farming activities.

According to the NBI, authorities received information that foreigners were engaged in “farming” activities through Lineage Classic, a popular Korean online multiplayer role-playing game with an in-game economy.

The NBI said the game’s primary virtual currency, “Adena,” which is used to buy in-game assets, has reportedly gained exchange value in secondary markets where accounts and virtual items are traded for real money.

“Lineage Classic is very popular in the Korean market, in online gaming. So we arrested five personalities, two of which [are] from Angeles, Pampanga and three from Imus, Cavite,” an agent on the case said.

“They employed Filipino nationals to pilot or to play for them in exchange [for] money,” the agent added.

The NBI also said it found that the Filipino workers allegedly employed in the operation were not registered with the Social Security System (SSS).

Authorities served a Warrant to Search, Seize, and Examine Computer Data (WSSECD) against occupants of a building in Imus, Cavite on May 8, leading to the arrest of three Korean nationals.

A follow-up operation was later conducted in Angeles, Pampanga on May 15, resulting in the arrest of two more suspects.

The five were charged with alleged violations of the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act and the Social Security Act of 1997.

In a separate operation, six Vietnamese nationals were arrested in Makati City for allegedly operating a fraudulent gaming website.

“Ibig sabihin po, gumagawa sila ng mga pekeng website. Itong pekeng website na ito ay mina-market po nila sa kanilang mga biktima,” an agent-on-case said.

(That means they create fake websites. These fake websites are then marketed to their victims.)

“Tapos ‘yung mga biktima po kapag nag-e-exchange doon, una akala nila legal po or legit ‘yung kanilang website… pero kapag nananalo po sila ay wala po silang nakukuhang winnings,” he added.

(When victims transact on the site, they initially think the platform is legal or legitimate… but even if they win, they do not receive any winnings.)

According to the NBI, agents found six individuals actively operating laptops and computers while serving a WSSECD on May 9.

A plain-view examination of the devices allegedly showed what appeared to be a customer support platform, Telegram chats, and websites linked to an online gambling operation.

Investigators also found that the computers used URLs mimicking legitimate platforms and that the websites operated using the unsecured “http” protocol instead of the more secure “https.”

The six Vietnamese nationals were presented for inquest proceedings before Makati prosecutors for alleged computer-related fraud.—MCG, GMA News