The Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) will establish a cybercrime desk to address the growing threat of online fraud and to help create a safe digital space for Ilonggos.
The dedicated desk will serve as a “one-stop-shop” for all complaints, inquiries, and concerns related to illegal activities online.
This initiative, in partnership with the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit (RACU), comes as ICPO anticipates a rise in cybercrime cases during the holiday season.
“Our focus is on the safety of Ilonggos, both online and offline, as we are anticipating to deal with more cyber cases,” ICPO spokesperson Police Major Shella Mae Sangrines told IMT NEWS.
“The goal is to lessen the impact if we cannot completely prevent these cases. We are anticipating a rise in digital incidents involving scamming online,” she further said.
To capacitate the new desk, Sangrines said the RACU has committed to providing training to four assigned investigators from the ICPO.
The training will equip the investigators with the necessary skills to handle cybercrime complaints, such as money scams and “love scams,” which have been identified as prevalent issues.
“The RACU chief met with our city director. They will capacitate four of our investigators so that the ICPO will have its own police personnel trained to handle cybercrime complaints, preventing the need to refer victims directly to the regional unit,” said Sangrines.
The establishment of the cybercrime desk is part of the ICPO’s proactive campaign these “ber” months (September to December). This period, according to ICPO, traditionally sees an increase in crimes against property as more money circulates due to various occasions and holiday spending.
“During the ‘ber’ months, many people are sending money, shopping, and selling. This presents an opportunity for criminals if we are not vigilant with our valuables, cash-on-hand, and even our savings, which could be lost to scams or hacking,” Sangrines warned.
Aside from assisting victims, the cybercrime desk will also spearhead a strengthened awareness campaign to educate the public on how to avoid falling prey to online scammers.IMT
