By Mar Gabriel
Eagle News Service
The Philippine National Police on Thursday, June 7, announced the arrest of eight Israeli nationals who were allegedly behind the operation of a multi-million dollar online investment scam that victimized mostly Australians.
PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde said also arrested by the Anti-Cybercrime Group on Tuesday, June 6, were the Israelis’ over 400 employees who worked at what appeared to be a “call center” crucial to their operations in Freeport Zone in Clark, Pampanga.
The police said the group operated without the necessary permits.
The Israelis and Filipinos were arrested in simultaneous operations in three departments of International Brandings Development Marketing, Inc.
This was after the police caught them in the “act of communicating and doing online transactions with foreign ‘clients’ from Europe, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Russia,” Albayalde said.
According to Albayalde, the suspects would urge their victims to invest an initial $250 in what appears to be a stock exchange.
The suspects would then make it appear that the investment was earning so the victims would invest more money and give them access to their bank accounts.
The suspects, would, however, end up transferring the victims’ money to their own accounts.
According to the police, the suspects earned up to $1 million each day with their modus.
The group managed to scam four victims–three Australians and a South African—in the amount of $2 million, the police said.
Criminal charges are slated to be filed against the suspects.
