13 Nigerians using U.S. Military FB Photos arrested in PI

[Rooster]

Heard of Filipinas scamming Foreigners by using beautiful fake photos of themselves on Face Book to scam Foreigners into sending them money. Here, 13 Nigerians were arrested for using photos of U.S. Military personnel to scam Filipinas using FaceBook. Nigerians were promising marriage Visa's, money, tickets to the U.S.

Video of the arrest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKWIAZmmwsM&feature=youtu.be

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1037763

IMUS CITY, Cavite –Chief Supt. Edward Carranza, the newly-installed Calabarzon Regional Office (PRO-4A) director, presented to journalists here on Wednesday the 13 Nigerian nationals, who were arrested by Cavite police Sunday for their alleged involvement in a big-time online scam syndicate.

Carranza, together with Cavite Provincial Director Senior Supt. William Mongas Segun and Imus City police chief Supt. Audie L. Madrideo, presented the Nigerian group, led by the syndicate ringleader Emmanuel Chinonso Nnandi, who carries the aliases “Nonso” and “Boss,” during a press conference at the Cavite Police Provincial camp headquarters here.

Segun said the Nigerian online syndicate members and their Filipina accomplice, Irish Pimentel Lewis, were apprehended on June 3 through an entrapment and follow-up operations by the Imus City police, the Cavite provincial police office and the Calabarzon police team.

He said the joint police operatives arrested “Nonso” and his four cohorts at their rented apartment in Block 3 Lot 9 Bali Hai Subdivision, Barangay Buhay na Tubig in this city.

The Cavite police acted on the complaint of one Arnel Pilapil, a brother of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Saudi Arabia named Charissa Pilapil Dequito who was allegedly befriended by one “Putri Kevin” (stevencris).

Complainant Arnel said that his sister, who works as a domestic helper in Saudi Arabia, told him that “Putri Kevin” claimed he was a Major in Kabul Afganistan-based Special Forces of the United States Army.

Cavite authorities later linked "Kevin" to a fake facebook account run by "Nonso" as they were able to trace “Kevin’s” transactions in “Nonso’s” phone, as well as the ongoing transactions with his other Filipino scam victims in Iloilo and Cebu.

The police's initial investigation disclosed that “Kevin” promised to send a package containing USD 2.5 million to Dequito through a diplomatic agent named Evans Peters, on condition that she pays for the “airport authority taxes” amounting to PHP75,000.

Dequito then sent a total of PHP35,000 to date, but “Kevin” allegedly was asking for another PHP75,000, prompting his brother Arnel to file the complaint.

Police immediately conducted their entrapment operation as “Nonso” was about to collect the third money transfer at a Cebuana Lhuiller branch in this city.

The police then busted “Nonso’s” caper and arrested him, as succeeding entrapment operations also uncovered the group’s operations in three different locations in Imus City.

Carranza said that the scammers’ two operations were located in Buhay na Tubig village - one is maintained by “Nonso” while the other is managed by his brother Uche Henry Eboh; and the third in Anabu I-F being operated by alias Figo Modestus who remains at large.

He and the Cavite top police officials also presented at the presscon the confiscated assorted computer laptops, electronic gadgets such as WI-FI routers, and cellular phones that were used in the syndicate’s scamming schemes in the three sites.

The pieces of evidence are being subjected to forensic examination by the PNP Anti-Cyber Crime Unit.

Carranza described further that this online scam is no different to the old “pyramiding” scam and brought this incident to the Bureau of Immigration’s attention for them to monitor foreigners entering the country.

He said that in the case of arrested Nigerians, all were reported to be properly documented as students and are even enrolled in two universities in the city.

He likewise challenged the cops, local government units up to the barangay level on the need to profile
foreigners in their area.

“Cavite is already a highly-urbanized place, most of the towns here are converted into cities, so mataas napo ang migratory board na hindi natin alam ang background (migratory board is high, whose background is still unknown to us),” explained Carranza.

The Calabarzon police regional director repeatedly cautions the public never to befriend or divulge personal details to strangers “and if something is too good to be true, don’t bite, most probably it’s a scam.”

Madrideo disclosed that the police have already filed in court violations of Syndicated Estafa in relation to RA 10175 against the arrested Nigerian scam syndicate members and their cohorts

They are also seeking assistance from the Immigration authorities to verify and validate the Nigerian nationals’ records, documents and stay in the country.

As this developed, the Cavite police are calling on other victims of the same scheme to make reports and file similar complaints as these may fall under a syndicated or large-scale estafa, which is unbailable. (PNA)

[Dave Hounddriver]

44 minutes ago, Rooster said:

He likewise challenged the cops, local government units up to the barangay level on the need to profile
foreigners in their area.

Well that makes sense.  Nigerian scammers come to Philippines so all foreigners are bad. Sounds like a trumped up reason to pick on us expats.

[Clermont]

Thanks for that Rooster, finally they are getting on top of the little, big time scammers. They must have picked on the wrong family connection, I doubt whether they would have done it for you or me. 

[Rooster]

5 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Well that makes sense.  Nigerian scammers come to Philippines so all foreigners are bad. Sounds like a trumped up reason to pick on us expats.

We may not realize it, but the monitoring of our (Expat) activities where we live has been ongoing for decades. I'm not going to mention the details but our monitoring is ongoing. 

It's sometime difficult to see it discussed in English in the news, most is done in Tagalog or the local dialect.

The occasional bashing from The United Nations in the news on how the war against drugs here is being handled increases anti Foreigners sentiment.

We may not realize it but as Foreigners, our Internet activity, cell phone activity, where we live and what we do is being monitored. Some areas monitoring us may not be as effective as others but sooner or later, lawbreakers the will be outed. 

Many want to live here but have no pension/money and their criminal activity to earn support money give us law abiding Expats a bad reputation.

Below is a 2016 article discussing the monitoring of Foreigners.

https://www.untvweb.com/news/dilg-advises-lgus-register-foreign-nationals-residing-barangays/

PAMPANGA, Philippines — The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has directed all barangay officials to conduct strict monitoring of foreign nationals residing in their areas of jurisdiction.

The order was issued following the discovery of a shabu laboratory in Angeles city, Pampanga that was operated by a Chinese and a Taiwanese national.

According to outgoing DILG Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento, it is an obligation of local officials to do a background check and register all foreign nationals visiting or residing in their respective barangays to know the legality of their stay in the country.

“This should be included in the security plan of each barangay chieftain to ensure safety in his area. Foreign nationals must be covered [by the ordinance]. They should be registered,” Sarmiento said.

Over P1 billion worth of liquid shabu and a number of chemicals were seized by authorities in a house cum shabu laboratory discovered inside a subdivision in Sto. Domingo, Angeles City.

The house was owned by Atty. Orlando Pangilinan and was rented by some Taiwanese and Chinese nationals who reasoned their children’s education as alibis.

“Actually, I don’t know anything about their operations here. I don’t know who really owns the house. It’s just recently that I knew it was Atty. Pangilinan,” Berong Chaneco said, Brgy. Chairperson.

Sarmiento said, the community plays a vital role in eliminating illegal drug operations thus they are encouraging the public to support the government in its campaign against illegal drugs.

It is included in the five pillars of the criminal justice system. The community is very important,” Sarmiento said. “Each resident who reports and trusts our policemen would contribute to combat it. But if we would not report, then how can we eradicate it?”

DILG reported that this year alone, authorities have confiscated about 562 kilograms of illegal drugs, excluding those seized from Angeles City. inventory is still ongoing.

A total of 17, 638 were arrested for violating laws on illegal drug while 22 drug pushers were killed during encounter with authorities.