12 'scammers' of credit cards nabbed in Dumaguete

CEBU, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation arrested 12 suspected scammers from Manila for allegedly using counterfeit credit cards while in Dumaguete City.

NBI special investigator Contesa Lastimoso identified the 12 suspects as John Clyde Angeles, Ramon Rodriguez, Jonathan Adajar, Joseph Nombre, Alpha Christian Villanueva, Erickson Raymundo, Albert Marasigan, Ray Lester Lizardo, Edward Mijares, Nino Pinidi, Christopher Fernandez, and Bernardo Saragina.

The 12 were booked for alleged violation of Republic Act 8484 (Access Devices Regulations Act), after they consummated a credit card transaction in one of the restaurants in Dumaguete early evening on Tuesday.

Personnel of the restaurant immediately called up the bank concerned, which in turn reported the matter to the NBI.

Initial investigations disclosed that the bank concerned has already alerted some establishments in Dumaguete about a group of people who were using counterfeit credit cards or access devices, and one of them has transacted with the restaurant.

Operatives of NBI-Dumaguete immediately made a surveillance operation and caught the suspects, close to midnight (September 12) in one of the hotels in the city, while the latter were on their way out to their next possible stop, Bacolod City.

Recovered from the suspects possession were more than ten counterfeit credit cards, some of them were used in different transactions in Dumaguete since Monday, September 11.

Lastimoso said the NBI is also digging deeper in its investigation to determine if the suspects–all Tagalog-speaking and mostly from Pasay City in Manila–are linked to a group of foreigners who are running an ATM skimming activities in the country.

After their arrest, two establishments went to the NBI to identify the suspects as the same individuals who have victimized them earlier. (FREEMAN)