Philippines arrest 357 foreigners for online fraud

The Jakarta Post, The Associated Press, Manila, Philippine, August 23 2012

Philippine police say they have rounded up 357 foreigners accused of duping Taiwanese and Chinese citizens in an online scam.

National police investigation chief Samuel Pagdilao says the mostly Chinese and Taiwanese suspects were arrested Thursday in simultaneous raids on 20 houses in metropolitan Manila and nearby Antipolo city.

Pagdilao says those arrested were members of a syndicate that pretended to represent police, prosecutors, courts and insurance companies who told the victims that their bank accounts were being used for money laundering and terrorist financing.

He says the victims were pressured to transfer their money to an account provided by the syndicate.

Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission head Paquito Ochoa says the arrests were the largest single-day operation against organized crime in the country.