Cops hunting foreigner linked to phishing scam
Two individuals supposedly hired by a foreign national were arrested for their involvement in a phishing scam, the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) said on Monday.
Using international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) catchers, the two reportedly sent text messages using the names of banks or telecommunication firms.
Receivers were asked to click on a link to “claim a reward,” allowing the suspects to obtain sensitive data to gain access to their victims’ accounts.
PNP-ACG director Brig. Gen. Bernard Yang said the pair was arrested separately in Mandaluyong and Makati City on Oct. 16.
“The main suspect we are looking into is a foreign national who is hiring Filipinos to drive these devices all over the different cities here in Manila,” he added, without giving more details about the foreigner.
Four IMSI catchers with “non-English” markings were seized from the arrested suspects.
