BI arrests four South Koreans in online fraud schemes

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has arrested four South Korean nationals in two separate operations in Pampanga for alleged involvement in multiple online fraud schemes.

In one operation, Ham Seong Hwan, 38, and Kim Jongbaek, 21, were caught running a fake travel agency that scammed victims into paying for non-existent bookings at hotels and low-cost flights inside a villa in Angeles City.

Another operation resulted in the arrest of two individuals identified as Kim Taekyeong, 37, and Park Jinhyung, 36, who were accused of leading an online streaming app scam where they convinced people to send money for non-existent subscriptions.

Park Jinhyung is considered the head of the operations and was found to have been overstaying since 2024. The suspect also created fraudulent accounts on a major South Korean live-streaming platform, illegally earning approximately PHP190,000.

The arrested foreigners will face summary deportation and are currently being contacted by GMA Integrated News.