2 men in Baguio arrested for selling e-wallet accounts

Baguio City, Philippines - Under existing laws, selling electronic wallet accounts is illegal in the Philippines, as it allows scammers to hide their identities and commit fraud.

This illegal act led to the arrest of two men in Baguio City on June 3, 2025, in a separate operation of the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG).

According to the report from the agency, the first suspect, who they identified as alias “Cervo,” 26, was apprehended by the operatives of the Baguio City Cyber Response Team around 1:30 p.m. on said day at Burnham Park.

Cervo was caught selling electronic payment accounts online, which were linked to registered Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards.

He is now facing charges for violating the Republic Act No. 12010, otherwise known as the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act of 2024, RA No. 11934, or the Sim Registration Act of 2023, and RA No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

Just two hours later (3:30 p.m.), the second suspect, alias “Clifford,” 22, was arrested by the Mt. Province Provincial Cyber Response Team after he was caught selling fully verified e-wallet accounts online. 

Like Cervo, Clifford is now facing charges under the same set of laws.

Acting Director of PNP-ACG Brigadier General Bernard Yang praised the efforts of the cyber response teams in arresting the suspects. He emphasized that these types of illegal activities not only break the law  but also contribute to the rise of cybercrimes in the country.

“These illegal transactions, such as selling verified e-wallet accounts and registered SIM cards, not only violate the law but also endanger others by enabling cyber fraud,” the police officer added, as quoted by the PNP-ACG.