BDO, police honor barangay for role in anti-scam arrests

MANILA, Philippines, Jan 28 — BDO Unibank and the Credit Card Association of the Philippines (CCAP) honored barangay officials in Makati City for assisting authorities in an operation that led to the arrest of suspected scammers using illegal mobile interception devices, the bank said.

Representatives from BDO and CCAP held a recognition ceremony for Barangay Bel-Air officials, citing their coordination with law enforcement during an anti-cybercrime operation involving International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catchers.

The Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) spearheaded the operation last year after detecting unusual cellular signals in the area, an indicator of unauthorized devices capable of intercepting mobile communications.

Through signal triangulation and coordination with barangay officials, authorities located the source of the signals and identified the suspects, according to the bank.

IMSI catchers are illegal devices used to capture mobile subscriber data and can be exploited to facilitate fraud and scam activities.

BDO said it plans to conduct more community workshops to share practical guidance on detecting fraud schemes, protecting personal information and reporting suspicious activities.

The bank said efforts to combat scams require collaboration among private institutions, government units and law enforcement agencies to address increasingly sophisticated criminal tactics.