PAOCC: Some scam farms operated by Filipinos

Despite the government's ongoing crackdown on illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) has revealed that some Filipinos continue to operate scam farms.

PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio said in a radio interview that the commission has conducted several raids on online fraud and scam networks run by Filipinos in recent months.

He added that these individuals are often veterans of raided POGO operations.

While Chinese nationals who once operated POGOs in the country have ceased their activities, Casio said that Filipino employees from these operations have started their own scam enterprises.

"The scary thing is the indigenous scam farm that is run by Filipinos," said Casio.

To recall, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. banned all POGOs in his third State of the Nation Address, ordering the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation to terminate all operations by the end of the year.

The PAOCC also discovered that some Internet Gaming Licensee (IGL) firms, or POGOs with permits to operate, had no intention of complying with the ban.

The commission said that some of these IGL firms were hiring workers to continue their operations.

"When I interviewed the Filipinos, when were you hired? -- Three days ago. When were you hired? -- Four weeks ago," Casio said.

He clarified that IGLs are also included in the government's ban. Meanwhile, foreign workers in the Philippines are being reminded to downgrade their visas to tourist visas.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said last week that this will allow them to stay in the country for 59 days to wind down their affairs.