Latest news with #SIMRegistrationAct
GMA Network
07-07-2025
- GMA Network
NBI arrests couple posing as NPA to extort money
The National Bureau of Investigation on Monday arrested a couple in Dagat-Dagatan, Caloocan City who extorted money amounting to over P2.6 million from a businessman by claiming to be affiliated with the New People's Army. According to the NBI, the operation stemmed from the complaint of a businessman who said he was receiving threats from an individual who was allegedly affiliated with the NPA. The NBI said the suspect had been demanding annual payments from the complainant and his family since 2018 in exchange for their safety. The complainant deposited more than P2.6 million to the arrested individuals. After investigating the matter, the NBI said it traced the extortion number to the couple. Meanwhile, the owner of the bank account admitted upon questioning that her account was used to receive money for her neighbor in exchange for a cut. She then cooperated with the authorities in the entrapment operation. This led to the arrest of the couple. The man admitted to the extortion and surrendered his cell phone and SIM that were used to send threats. He and his wife underwent inquest proceedings before Caloocan City prosecutors for extortion, violation of the SIM Registration Act, financing of terrorism, and money laundering. They are currently detained at the NBI's detention facility in Muntinlupa City. —AOL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
26-06-2025
- GMA Network
Over 5,000 arrested for cybercrimes in 1st half of 2025, says PNP
More than 5,000 persons linked to various online crimes were arrested in the first half of 2025, according to the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) on Thursday. Police Brigadier General Bernard Yang said the number of arrests is a reflection of the growing sophistication of cybercriminals and the intensified efforts of authorities to clamp down on scams, fraud, and identity theft across digital platforms. 'For this 2025 from January to June, mid-June, we have already arrested 5,099 (persons) on various offenses online. We can call these cybercrime cases,' he said during a Bagong Pilipinas public briefing . According to Yang, most of the suspects who were nabbed for online scams fall within the 20 to 30 years old age bracket, unemployed and are predominantly men. POGO links Yang revealed that a significant number of suspects were found to have previously worked for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), with some taking part in cybercriminal activities after the closure of many POGO firms as a result of the nationwide ban. 'Mostly ay mga dating nagtrabaho... dating security guard, yung iba former employee of POGOs… dahil nag-stop yung POGO operation sa Pilipinas, nagsagawa sila ng kanilang racket ng online scams,' he said. (Most are former POGO workers—some were security guards, others ex-POGO employees—who turned to online scams after POGO operations ceased in the Philippines.) Authorities also observed the widespread misuse of SIM cards in these scam operations, with several suspects having over 100 pre-registered SIMs when they were arrested. 'Mayroon siyang dala na registered SIM cards na kung minsan sobra pa sa isang daan... bakit mayroon isang individual nakakapag parehistro ng maraming SIM cards?', said Yang. (One person we apprehended in an entrapment operation had over a hundred registered SIM cards... which raises the question of how a single person can register that many cards?) Coordination, legislation The PNP-ACG is now working closely with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) to investigate and block suspicious SIM cards and numbers used in cybercrime activities. 'I-report po namin ito sa NTC para ma-block na po yung numbers na iyon,' Yang said. (We report these cases to the NTC so those numbers can be blocked.) Yang also recommended tighter enforcement of the SIM Registration Act by placing a cap on the number of SIMs a person can own. 'We recommend na sana hindi marami yung i-register ng isang tao. Marami na po siguro yung 10,' he added. (We recommend limiting the number of SIM cards a person can register. Perhaps a maximum of 10.) The PNP is also pushing for stricter regulation of social media platforms under the Cybercrime Prevention Act, and for these companies to establish physical offices in the Philippines. Increasing fake PSA calls and e-wallet thefts Yang confirmed the PNP has also received reports of phone calls where scammers impersonating representatvies from government agencies such as the Philippine Statistics Authority attempt to steal information tied to national ID details or e-wallet accounts. 'Habang kausap itong tao... nababawasan na yung laman ng kanyang e-wallet,' he said. (While the victims are still on the call, their e-wallets are already being drained.) The PNP official stressed the importance of identifying and prosecuting the people behind these scams, in addition to blocking their numbers. 'Kami po ay nag-file na lang ng kaso pag nag-identify natin kung sino sa likod... i-re-report namin talaga sa NTC,' Yang said. (We file charges once we identify those behind these scams and report the phone numbers to the NTC.) Not even President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was spared after Yang also addressed recent concerns of a video generated by artificial intelligence that is circulating in social media showing the Chief Executive endorsing online investment platforms. 'When I received that video... we coordinated with the social media platform... we requested for the takedown of that video,' he said. Warning to the public With the rise of cybercrime scams, Yang urged the public to remain vigilant, to avoid giving personal information and account access to strangers, and to verify the source of suspicious communications. In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, Yang said the PNP-ACG will continue to collaborate with stakeholders to curb cybercrime. —RF, GMA Integrated News
The Star
26-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Watchdog renews push to limit SIM registration in Philippines to fight scams
MANILA: Internet security watchdog Scam Watch Pilipinas has renewed calls to limit the number of registered subscriber identity modules (SIMs) per person as part of a bid to fight online scams. 'In terms of legislation [as part of efforts to combat online scams], the first thing to do is to fix the holes in the SIM Registration Law,' Scam Watch Pilipinas founder Jocel De Guzman said mostly in Filipino during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday (June 25). 'A person can register an unlimited number of SIM cards under his name. That's the first thing. The people being arrested by General Yang, one person can have 600 registered SIMs,' he added. De Guzman was referring to Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP ACG) Director Brig. Gen. Bernard Yang. Antipolo City 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop said that choosing not to pursue the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte would convey the wrong message—that justice is selective and only applies to the poor and powerless. Signed into law in 2022, Republic Act 11934 to the SIM Registration Act required Filipinos to register their SIM cards in an effort to reduce cyber crimes. The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) previously proposed allowing only three or four registered SIMs per person. However, De Guzman proposed a limit of 10 registered SIMs per person to give leeway for businesses and to allow parents to give SIMs to their children, if they are minors. At the same forum, Yang said the PNP ACG arrested 608 individuals from December 2024 to June 20, 2025 for various cyber crimes, including selling pre-registered SIM cards, a violation of RA 11934. Also at the forum, tech firm Gogolook Philippines reported that its content checker application detected around 7,200 scams and nearly 2,900 potential scams out of over 20,800 reports of suspicious content online from March to mid-June this year. Following the enactment of the law, the DICT warned that new scams were developing, such as people selling pre-registered cards and charging a fee to get users registered. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
