Facebook shuts down 3 accounts using PNP chief’s name

October 11, 2020

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Sunday said Facebook has disabled three poser accounts that illegally assumed the identity of Police General Camilo Cascolan.

According to Police Brigadier General Marvin Manuel Pepino, Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) director, investigators have traced the poser accounts to several cases of online swindling and estafa, mostly solicitation of funds from unsuspecting victims purportedly for social welfare and humanitarian projects.

Pepino said three Facebook poser accounts have been flagged under the account names: "Camilo Pancratius Pikoy Cascolan", "Camilo P Cascolan", "Camilo Cascolan", misrepresenting the page as owned by the Chief PNP.

ACG has initiated investigation and case build-up on the activities of persons allegedly behind the identified bogus Facebook accounts, and requested the social networking giant to take down the pages to prevent possible further illegal activities.

They promptly received a communication from Facebook’s Law Enforcement Outreach Manager, Rob Abrams, confirming that the Facebook has disabled all the three accounts.

“These fake accounts have been active in social networks enticing Facebook users to donate funds purportedly to purchase computer tablets for students in urban poor communities for online classes,” Pepino said.

He also revealed that four persons of interest were subpoenaed to appear before the Regional Field Units of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) for investigation.

This joint ACG-CIDG investigation seeks to further develop facts and new inputs to identify the personalities behind online scam operations using these bogus Facebook accounts.

The ACG director said those behind the fake Facebook accounts may face criminal charges for violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act, identity theft; and Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code for Swindling or Estafa (Online Scam).

Last September, Cascolan ordered an investigation after he was informed that someone was posing as him and asking P10,000 in exchange for a preferred reassignment to a choice post. Ella Dionisio/DMS