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Scammers are now operating in smaller units by renting small houses, which is a “new trend,” said Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Wednesday.
Remulla said that they are going after the so-called “micro hubs” one by one.
“But the new trend is that they are micro hubs of 10 to 15 to 20 who stay in one house. It's not like before. Before, what we had here, the industry had 5,000 people in one building. Now they rent small houses and we are after them,” he said in a press briefing.
Among the recent operations the local authorities conducted against a micro hub was in Zamboanga Sibugay. But the Interior chief said that most of these smaller scam hubs are in the metro area.
“They're mostly operating now here in the metro area. I think we are tracking three active scam hubs. But the exact location is yet to be determined,” said Remulla.
The official said that they are tracking these hubs through electricity and internet consumption, as well as movement of suspicious individuals.
Remulla said that the usual victims of these micro hubs are elderly people.
“What is unfortunate is that we have to step up enforcement because the majority of the victims are senior citizens whose savings are decimated because of these hubs,” said Remulla.
When asked who are the people behind these micro scam hubs, Remulla said that foreigners have local partners here in the country.
“We have identities of the persons and their movements,” he said.
“Foreigners and locals also. They have local partners,” Remulla added. —VAL, GMA News