Authorities arrested a former security guard who decided to pose as the National Capital Region Police Office director Brig. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez in a social media account and solicits cash from unwary victims, a police official said on Monday.

NCRPO spokesman Lt. Col. Eunice Salas identified the suspect as Darell John Green, who was an African-American descent, was arrested last Saturday night in Olongapo City by virtue of a warrant for robbery and had four other standing warrants for qualified theft.

Sometime last week, Salas said they received reports about the creation of the fake Facebook account of Nartatez, which was used to solicit funds for the basketball team uniform.

The suspect asked the victims to send their donations to a Gcash account under the name of a former police officer. The officer denied owning the account, said Salas.

Salas said further investigation showed the suspect also created a Viber account and Instagram account using the cellphone number used in the Gcash account.

"Based on our investigation, many did not believe (the solicitation) because they know the regional director will do that," Salas said when asked if the suspect was successful in soliciting funds.

Salas said the suspect also used fake social media accounts of other police officers, including Quezon City Police District (QCPD) chief Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan and Col. Froilan Uy, former Chief of Police, Pasay City, and others for fraudulent activities in online scamming.

Salas said Nartatez ordered a thorough investigation after learning that his name was being used in an online scam.

She said the suspect was tracked and subsequently arrested in Barangay Barreto, Olongapo City at around 9 a.m. last Friday through the PNP's "relentless efforts of intelligence research."

Seized from the suspect's possession were a mobile phone, a black belt bag containing Philhealth and Bureau of Internal Revenue identification cards, and three SIM cards.

Salas said Green is currently detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, undergoing custodial debriefing to identify his possible cohort.

Salas said the suspect will be facing additional charges for computer-related identity theft and estafa, in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

For his part, Nartatez urged the public particularly the cooperation of possible other victims of Green, not to hesitate to coordinate with the nearest police station.

He added the NCRPO to file appropriate charges against the arrested suspect and also warned the public who are involved in these fraudulent activities.

"The NCRPO will continue its aggressive campaign to take down all fraudulent activities along with the fake accounts on social media platforms. To all persons behind fake accounts and online scamming particularly those personalities who use someone's identity or any member of the community for personal gains and illegal activities let this be a lesson. The arrest of this suspect serves as a warning, we will run after you," Nartatez said in a statement.