ILOILO City – There has been a significant decrease in cybercrime incidents across Western Visayas in the first six months of 2024, according to the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6).
Police Brigadier General Jack Wanky, regional police director, Cited the extensive information drives conducted by the PRO-6’s Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit, which often involve sharing scam incidents on social media to raise public awareness about perpetrators’ modus operandi.
“When victims report scams, we immediately inform the public about the tactics used so that our citizens become aware and cautious,” Wanky told Panay News.
There were 218 incidents recorded in the first half of this year, marking an 80 incident or 26.8 percent drop compared to the 298 incidents reported in the same period last year, data from the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit showed.
The top 10 cybercrimes in the region include:
* swindling/estafa (online scams)
* illegal access of computer systems
* online libel
* ATM/credit card fraud
* grave threats
* computer related identity theft
* unjust vexation
* grave coercion
* photo and video voyeurism
* fraudulent access devices
Wanky said these were mainly carried out through mobile phones or social media.
To further reduce cybercrime incidents, Wanky said the PRO-6 will be seeking a larger budget for the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit to enhance their operations, as the perpetrators often employ more advanced technologies than those available to law enforcers.
“Our cybercrime unit continuously seeks enhancements, recognizing occasional resource shortfalls. Thus, we are requesting additional funding to improve our capabilities,” Wanky added.
Overall, Wanky assured that the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit possesses adequate resources and capabilities to trace and apprehend scammers effectively. He also urged the public to report any cybercrime incidents to the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit for timely action./PN
