NBI nabs 120 suspects in POGO-like love scam operation

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The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested 120 suspects in Makati City in an alleged love scam operation that authorities said bore similarities to the operations of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

In a report by China Gaston on "24 Oras" on Wednesday, authorities said they raided an office in Makati last Saturday and found the suspects working on computers. Many of those arrested were Chinese nationals.

The NBI said the operation worked similarly to a POGO, with scammers posing as potential romantic partners to lure victims into online relationships before asking them for money.

The agency's Special Action Unit team also recovered screenshots showing the group offering a dating service with different levels of access.

The suspects also had photos of women who were supposedly available for dates with their victims.

Authorities likewise recovered private messages between the scammers and their victims, as well as sexually explicit videos and photos allegedly used in the scheme.

“Well, the same operation, same lahat, may mga script ganyan—may mga binibiktima, halo-halo na yung mga binibiktima nila, foreigners and Filipino alike,” NBI Director Melvin Matibag said.

(Well, it’s the same operation. There are scripts, there are victims, and their victims are a mix of foreigners and Filipinos.)

There have been reports that former POGO workers or operators have shifted to cyberscamming and other forms of fraud following the government's ban on offshore gaming.

The NBI is investigating whether foreign scam syndicates have returned to the Philippines to carry out such operations.

“We've been receiving reports from our law enforcement counterparts abroad, medyo naghihigpit doon kaya parang bumabalik dito, so we're also in full foresight now. Binabantayan namin yung mga ganyang bagay,” Matibag said.

(We've been receiving reports from our law enforcement counterparts abroad. They have tightened their operations there, so it seems some are coming back here. We're also keeping a close watch now. We're monitoring things like that.)

The NBI urged the public to remain vigilant against love scams and other similar schemes and to report incidents to authorities.— Jean Mangaluz/MCG, GMA News

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