National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents recently raided an alleged big-time cybersex company disguised as a call center and confiscated 155 computer sets from their office in Pasig City.
NBI Director Nestor Mantaring said agents from the NBI-Special Action Unit (SAU), assisted by the Anti-Fraud and Computer Crimes Division (AFCCD) under Assistant Regional Director Vicente de Guzman III, confiscated about P4 million worth of items from American Chat Link, Inc., which employs 400 people and holds office at the 12th floor of the Tycoon Center building on Pearl Drive in Ortigas Center.
“The office was incorporated primarily to operate, maintain, and carry on the business as a call center. It was revealed that it was only used as a disguise for their true scheme which was to provide and cater obscene and immoral pornographic materials for exhibition to foreign clients and customers,” Mantaring said.
NBI-SAU Head Agent Angelito Magno said the group allegedly enticed senior citizens to be members. To avail of American Chat Link’s services, members would have to pay $5 membership fee through their credit card to be allowed to access to their site for 24 hours.
If the member fails to cancel his subscription, the firm will continue charging him $30 every month.
The firm uses online billing companies, eupaycom.net and webbilling.com, which will automatically give the customer a password once they receive the payment.
After a month-long surveillance, Magno said they secured a search warrant from Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 159 Judge Rodolfo Bonifacio.
They raided the establishment last Wednesday and confiscated 155 computer sets, 12 Ethernet hubs, office equipment and various materials and documents allegedly used in the firm’s illegal operations. No arrests were made.
Mantaring said the AFCCD will still inspect the computers’ hard drives.
The NBI filed charged the firm with violating Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code, which deals with immoral doctrines, obscene publications, exhibitions and indecent shows, in relation to Republic Act 8792 or the e-commerce law.