Senator Risa Hontiveros has raised concerns over the rise of “guerilla scam operations” following the Philippine government’s recent ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
Speaking during Senate deliberations on the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT) proposed 2025 budget, Hontiveros said these scams are becoming increasingly difficult to detect.
“Following the welcome declaration of the President banning POGOs, our law enforcement officers have found an alarming trend that, instead of using POGOs as regulatory cover, guerilla scam operations are now emerging—perhaps even harder to detect,” she said.
Hontiveros called on the Cybercrime Investigation Coordinating Center (CICC) to address these evolving threats effectively.
Efforts to Combat Scam Operations
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, sponsor of the DICT budget, revealed that the CICC, in collaboration with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), has already apprehended 11 scam hubs.
“They have the technology to detect scam hubs in the country and a hotline that people can use to report these operations,” Gatchalian explained.
Details of the technology and strategies used to detect these hubs are set to be discussed in an executive session.
Scam Trends Post-POGO Ban
The ban on POGOs, announced by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his State of the Nation Address in July, came after a Senate investigation linked the gaming operators to criminal activities.
Since then, scammers have shifted tactics, with Gatchalian noting an increase in anonymous text messages offering properties for sale. This new trend appears to replace the previous fraudulent texts offering jobs.
Measures Against Text Scams
Efforts to curb text scams are ongoing. The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has instructed telcos to tighten their issuance of SIM cards and has reported significant progress:
- 2.22 billion SMS messages blocked
- 2.31 million SIM cards deactivated
- 10.79 million numbers blacklisted
“The NTC is doing its share to reduce these text blasts or spams. But admittedly, there’s much to be done,” Gatchalian said.
Hontiveros emphasized the urgency of addressing guerilla scams as they become a growing challenge in the post-POGO landscape.