A female suspect was arrested for identity theft during a law enforcement operation in Santa Maria, Bulacan on 24 July 2026.

According to a social media post by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on 31 July 2026, the NBI Human Trafficking Division (HTRAD) arrested the suspect for organizing online fraudulent schemes by creating and running of fake online persona on various social media and massaging platforms.

These scams resulted in the loss of the victim of around P470,000. Aside from this, the suspect used the identity and photos of a person without permission to create and run one of the fake online persona.

Based on the investigation, these fake Viber, Facebook, and Instagram accounts led to one email address and mobile phone number that was registered to the suspect.

The NBI-HTRAD then conducted the entrapment operation and implemented a Warrant to Search, Seize, and Examine Computer Data (WSSECD) in the house of the suspect in Santa Maria.

The investigation made by the NBI Digital Forensics Laboratory confirmed that the suspect was logged in at the Instagram, Facebook, and Viber accounts used for scamming.

During the confrontation, the complainant denied that she was involved in the online scheme, and said that she never allowed the suspect to use of her identity, photos, and personal information.

The NBI-HTRAD arrested the suspect for charges of Estafa under Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code related to Republic Act No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, abd Cyber-related Identity Theft under Section 4(b)(3) of R.A. No. 10175.