CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 10 has issued a warning to entrepreneurs on the increasing cases of cyber hackings, particularly among Filipino importers and Chinese suppliers.
Linda Boniao, officer-in-charge of DTI Region 10, said the hacking incidents usually divert Filipino importers? payments to the hackers’ bank account.
The hacking cases, she said, has pushed the Philippine Embassy?s economic team in Beijing to meet with officials of China?s Ministry of Public Security (MPS) Criminal Investigation Department (ICD), particularly their cyber crime investigation officers.
So far, there have been six cases reported to the Philippine Embassy in China by Filipino victims, Boniao revealed.
According to the report, there are three accounts of the hacking instances. One involved a Filipino importer and a Chinese supplier with the former?s final transaction payment diverted to the hacker?s account in China.
The second involved a Filipino importer and a Chinese supplier, with the former?s payment diverted to the hacker?s account outside China.
And the third type involves a Filipino importer and a non-Chinese supplier, with the former?s payment ending up in the hacker?s bank account in China.
During the investigation, Chinese officials have been able to trace the perpetrators to Africans, specifically, Nigerians, said Boniao.
The Chinese findings were further confirmed by the National Bureau of Investigation, she added.
In a similar set-up between Filipino importer and Chinese supplier, they were able to trace the deceptive e-mail directing the Filipino importer to deposit the payment in the hacker?s account, to Nigeria.
Boniao explained that the MPS authorities can easily freeze bank accounts in China, if they are subject to criminal complaint. However, this wont easy in other countries like the Philippines as it will require court order. She added that Chinese officials cannot act if a hacker?s bank account is outside China for lack of jurisdiction. ?PIA-10
