4 arrested by NBI for phone fraud

Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation are tracking down groups of teenagers from Metro Manila for allegedly making illegal overseas telephone calls.

Four of the suspects, all minors, were separately arrested by agents of the NBI-National Capital Region last Friday in Antipolo, Marikina and Manila, respectively. They were, however, released pending further investigation.

According to the NBI, the arrests came following a complaint filed by the American telephone firm AT&T. The NBI said AT&T lost at least US$600,000 between the last quarter of year 2000 and the first quarter of this year.

The NBI said AT&T traced the illegal long distance calls to the Philippines, particularly Metro Manila.

According to NBI investigators, the teenagers they are now tracking down and monitoring are using access codes to make long distance telephone calls for free.

NBI investigators said some of the teenagers they are now monitoring have allegedly used the access codes to avail of phone sex services.

Investigators said the suspects, mostly high school students, managed to break into the PABX systems of large phone companies such as AT&T using the access codes.

The NBI at the moment is still tracking down the source of the access codes and the other suspects involved.

In the meantime, the NBI is looking into the possibility of charging the arrested suspects for violation of the Electronic Commerce Law. – Mike Frialde