More crimes using Facebook reported in PH

MANILA, Philippines – Crimes and complaints involving the popular social networking site Facebook are rising this year, the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group said Wednesday.

The CIDG said it received 25 complaints involving the use of Facebook between January 1 and June 14 this year. In comparison, the agency received 26 cases involving Facebook for the entire year of 2010.

Of the cases involving Facebook this year, 6 were estafa; 6 were libel; 3 each for harassment and hacking; 5 cases of identity theft and fake accounts; and 2 cases of pornography.

Aside from the Facebook complaints, the CIDG also received 11 cases of threats made via cellphone calls and texts for the first half of the year. The agency also received 5 complaints involving email; 2 complaints of credit card fraud; and one complaint each involving Twitter (libel) and Multiply (estafa).

In addition, 5 complaints involving other websites were reported.

In all, the CIDG received 56 computer related crimes and complaints from January to June.

Last year, the CIDG recorded 72 computer related walk-in complaints for the entire year. Aside from the Facebook-linked crimes, the agency also received 14 complaints of crimes involving e-mail and 9 cases involving the website eBay, all dealing with estafa.

In addition, 12 cases involving other websites, in cases ranging from identity theft to estafa, were recorded in 2010.

The CIDG also received 6 cases of credit card fraud; and 5 cases of cellphone threats and harassment. There were no reported cases involving Twitter and Multiply.

The CIDG’s Cyber Crime Unit handles the said cases. The cases are handled based on Section 33 of Republic Act 8792, or the E-Commerce Act. –abs-cbnNEWS.com