The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Monday it would seek the assistance of telecommunication companies in building up the possible pilot case involving the violation of the provisions of the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Registration Act.
In a press briefing, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said more than 100 Filipinos and foreign nationals were arrested last week and eventually charged following a raid on the so-called âscam hubâ in Pasay City.
Around 600 workers were initially held by authorities during the raid but only 91 Filipinos and 20 foreigners were subjected to inquest proceedings before the Pasay City Prosecutors Office for alleged cybercrimes. The said individuals are now facing charges for violation of Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, Revised Securities Regulation Code and spoofing under the SIM Registration Act.
Under the law, spoofing refers âto the act of transmitting misleading or inaccurate information about the source of the phone call or text message, with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain anything of value.â
Seized during the raid were 28,000 SIM cards, hundreds of phones and other devices allegedly being used for fraudulent activities.
Papers containing what seem to be scripts for love scams and devise for text blasts were also found in the hub. Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty said the hub was allegedly running love scams and cryptocurrency scams.
âWe will ask them [telecom companies] to help us in our case buildup as we examine the records and examine the equipment that we found and the evidence that we found to be of assistance to us against those who perpetrated scam using these SIM cards and other ways,â Remulla said.
âThe owners of the SIM cards used in the scams have to be charged properlyâŚItâs possible [that theyâre going to be the first ones charged under the SIM Registration Act],â Remulla said.