MANILA – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) disclosed the apprehension of 20 foreign individuals involved in an illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) scam center located in Parañaque City.
The arrests were made on February 25 at Aseana 3, West Tower, 8912 Avenue, following a report from the spouse of a Chinese employee at a POGO firm known as ‘LWE’. She claimed that her husband, employed as a customer service agent, was being detained unlawfully by his employers.
The NBI’s Special Task Force, during their raid, discovered a fully functioning online scam operation.
The detained foreigners face charges under Section 4(b)(1) of Republic Act 12010, the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA), in conjunction with Republic Act 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, filed at the city prosecutor’s office.
Among those arrested, only Liu Zhi Tao, alias Ren Jia, was named by the NBI. He faces further charges of serious illegal detention related to the complaint from the wife of the Chinese detainee.