30 persons tagged in BDO hacking

MANILA, Philippines — At least 30 more people have been linked to the hacking of bank accounts of around 700 depositors of Banco de Oro, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said yesterday.

The bureau’s cybercrime division is set to summon these 30 people, who would be compelled to disclose their alleged involvement in the online heist, acting NBI director Eric Distor said.

Five people – three Filipinos and two Nigerians – have been charged with violating the cybercrime prevention law and the access device regulation law in connection with the hacking of BDO bank accounts through phishing.

The depositors’ accounts were drained of funds after they responded to messages containing links to dummy websites that could extract bank information.

The NBI is also expecting complaints from two teachers, both depositors of the Land Bank of the Philippines, on the alleged hacking of their bank accounts through a similar phishing scheme, Distor said.

He added that the bureau will get in touch with LandBank, which insisted that its system was secure, to investigate the alleged hacking.