Four South Korean nationals have been arrested in Angeles City in Pampanga for engaging in online scams, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Wednesday, July 30.
The BI identified the Koreans as Ham Seong Hwan, 38; Kim Jongbaek, 21; Kim Taekyeong, 37; and Park Jinhyung, 36.
It said the group lures travelers through various platforms such as fake hotel websites with low rates, bogus flights, and tour offers and impersonating travel agents aimed at people seeking luxury holidays.
Park, the BI said, is suspected to be the head of the scam operations and he has been found to be an overstaying alien since 2924.
The foreigners were arrested last July 26 during an operation conducted by the BI’s Fugitive Search Unit (BI-FSU) at a house inside the Clark Freeport Zone in coordination with South Korean authorities, the Philippine Air Force in Northern Luzon, and Clark Development Corporation.
The operation was conducted based on the order issued by Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado after it was established that the foreigners were engaged in “resident-based fraud operations.” (Jeffrey Damicog)
