More than 5,000 persons linked to various online crimes were arrested in the first half of 2025, according to the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) on Thursday.
Police Brigadier General Bernard Yang said the number of arrests is a reflection of the growing sophistication of cybercriminals and the intensified efforts of authorities to clamp down on scams, fraud, and identity theft across digital platforms.
“For this 2025 from January to June, mid-June, we have already arrested 5,099 (persons) on various offenses online. We can call these cybercrime cases,” he said during a Bagong Pilipinas public briefing .
According to Yang, most of the suspects who were nabbed for online scams fall within the 20 to 30 years old age bracket, unemployed and are predominantly men.
POGO links
Yang revealed that a significant number of suspects were found to have previously worked for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), with some taking part in cybercriminal activities after the closure of many POGO firms as a result of the nationwide ban.
“Mostly ay mga dating nagtrabaho… dating security guard, yung iba former employee of POGOs… dahil nag-stop yung POGO operation sa Pilipinas, nagsagawa sila ng kanilang racket ng online scams,” he said.
(Most are former POGO workers—some were security guards, others ex-POGO employees—who turned to online scams after POGO operations ceased in the Philippines.)
Authorities also observed the widespread misuse of SIM cards in these scam operations, with several suspects having over 100 pre-registered SIMs when they were arrested.
“Mayroon siyang dala na registered SIM cards na kung minsan sobra pa sa isang daan… bakit mayroon isang individual nakakapag parehistro ng maraming SIM cards?”, said Yang.
(One person we apprehended in an entrapment operation had over a hundred registered SIM cards… which raises the question of how a single person can register that many cards?)
Coordination, legislation
The PNP-ACG is now working closely with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) to investigate and block suspicious SIM cards and numbers used in cybercrime activities.
“I-report po namin ito sa NTC para ma-block na po yung numbers na iyon,” Yang said.
(We report these cases to the NTC so those numbers can be blocked.)
Yang also recommended tighter enforcement of the SIM Registration Act by placing a cap on the number of SIMs a person can own.
“We recommend na sana hindi marami yung i-register ng isang tao. Marami na po siguro yung 10,” he added.
(We recommend limiting the number of SIM cards a person can register. Perhaps a maximum of 10.)
The PNP is also pushing for stricter regulation of social media platforms under the Cybercrime Prevention Act, and for these companies to establish physical offices in the Philippines.
Increasing fake PSA calls and e-wallet thefts
Yang confirmed the PNP has also received reports of phone calls where scammers impersonating representatvies from government agencies such as the Philippine Statistics Authority attempt to steal information tied to national ID details or e-wallet accounts.
“Habang kausap itong tao… nababawasan na yung laman ng kanyang e-wallet,” he said.
(While the victims are still on the call, their e-wallets are already being drained.)
The PNP official stressed the importance of identifying and prosecuting the people behind these scams, in addition to blocking their numbers.
“Kami po ay nag-file na lang ng kaso pag nag-identify natin kung sino sa likod… i-re-report namin talaga sa NTC,” Yang said.
(We file charges once we identify those behind these scams and report the phone numbers to the NTC.)
Marcos in AI-generated scam videos
Not even President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was spared after Yang also addressed recent concerns of a video generated by artificial intelligence that is circulating in social media showing the Chief Executive endorsing online investment platforms.
“When I received that video… we coordinated with the social media platform… we requested for the takedown of that video,” he said.
Warning to the public
With the rise of cybercrime scams, Yang urged the public to remain vigilant, to avoid giving personal information and account access to strangers, and to verify the source of suspicious communications.
In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, Yang said the PNP-ACG will continue to collaborate with stakeholders to curb cybercrime. —RF, GMA Integrated News
