NBI raids Makati scam hub, nabs 17 aliens

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Cybercrime Division arrested 17 foreign nationals in a raid on a suspected scam hub in Makati City.

Authorities said most of them were Chinese nationals.

Agents of the NBI by a search warrant, swooped down on a building in Makati City said to be a hub for foreigners involved in various scamming activities.

Authorities found more than 20 workstations in the five-story building.

There were also rooms with the sign “Couple Room” meant for foreign nationals and their partners in which each room had its restroom and bed.

The commissary was located on the rooftop and the dishes were just brought down to the rooms, so the alleged scammers did not need to leave the building, authorities said.

Aside from computers, SIM cards and cellphones, authorities also recovered notebooks containing scripts for various scams.

The NBI said the computers will be subjected to forensic examination to determine how long they have been operating in the area.

Arrested with the aliens are some Filipinos, but claimed they do not know about the alleged illegal activities being conducted in the building.

A stay-in kitchen staff member who had been working in the building for the past six months stated that the only thing they saw when bringing down food were computers. The arrested individuals were then taken to the NBI office.