Philippine Authorities Arrest Eight Chinese Nationals in Major Phishing Operation

In a significant crackdown on cybercrime, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in the Philippines arrested eight Chinese nationals in Parañaque City, suspected of running a sophisticated phishing operation. The arrests were announced on Wednesday, following a detailed investigation into the group’s activities. The suspects, identified as Xiao Li, Chuan Zi Gao, Ming Ru Li, Wen Shu Liu, Qui Shun Li, Cai Li Pan, Changfu Liu, and Zhang Zhen, were allegedly involved in a range of fraudulent activities including investment fraud, cryptocurrency scams, romance scams, and identity theft. A ninth suspect, Hwang Xiaobin, is still being sought by authorities. The operation was initiated after surveillance conducted on January 14, which led to the issuance of a search and seizure warrant by the Regional Trial Court of Parañaque City. On January 17, NBI agents, along with experts from the Digital Forensic Laboratory, executed the warrant. They discovered incriminating evidence on a laptop and desktop at the site, including templates used for phishing and social engineering, as well as records of cryptocurrency transactions linked to scams. The suspects now face charges under the Cybercrime Prevention Act and the Anti Financial Account Scamming Act, filed at the Parañaque City Prosecutors’ Office.