A 38-year-old woman from Talisay City, Cebu was arrested on Monday, July 15, for allegedly printing and selling fake BIR TIN cards and PhilHealth IDs to her customers in Cebu City and the province. | NBI-7 Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines – A 38-year-old woman from Talisay City, Cebu is facing criminal charges for allegedly printing and selling fake BIR TIN cards and Philhealth cards to customers across the province of Cebu.
The arrested suspect is believed to be a member of a large syndicate that has been operating in the Philippines for a long time.
Operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) conducted the operation against the suspect on Monday evening, July 15.
The accused was identified as Geraldine Lomongo Tausa, 38, a resident of Purok Gabon, Lagtang, Talisay City, Cebu.
READ:
Woman from Cebu City nabbed in Mandaue for selling ‘fake’ gov’t IDs, driver’s license
Barbers: Some Chinese in PH submit fake papers to obtain gov’t docs
Tausa was apprehended after authorities conducted surveillance that led to her being identified as the online reseller “Natashiwa Anata.”
Through the factitious name, Tausa has allegedly been advertising and selling fake cards through multiple Facebook groups.
NBI-7 agents posing as customers ordered a BIR TIN card from Tausa online and eventually raided her residence on Monday.
During the operation, they seized a total of 240 fake BIR TIN cards and 250 PhilHealth cards from Tausa’s possession.
In addition, they confiscated a laptop, printer, and cutter, which were used in the production of the fake cards.
In a press conference on Thursday, July 18, NBI-7 director Lawyer Renan Augustus Oliva narrated that the operation stemmed from a request by the BIR last April 17.
The agency was reportedly alarmed by the proliferation of the fraudulent cards in Cebu after an individual reportedly used a fake BIR TIN card at their office.
When questioned on where the fake card was obtained, the individual allegedly claimed that the transaction was done online.
BIR, however, do not offer online services for obtaining TIN cards.
Because of this, the agency sought the help of the NBI-7 to apprehend the perpetrators.
Oliva disclosed that they found that the suspect is a member of an organized crime group that has been operating nationwide for a long time.
The group is composed of “printers” in charge of printing the finished copies and “resellers” who directly transact with customers using fictitious names.
According to Oliva, the fake cards contain QR codes that are illegally generated and do not show the unique information about each taxpayer.
After the digital copies of the cards are made by a specific team of the syndicate, they are sent to printers like Tausa, who will then print them out.
Oliva said that while the fake cards look very similar to legitimate ones, the QR code is a giveaway of their authenticity.
The NBI-7 director also disclosed that they received information that there are many more “printers” and resellers from the syndicate who are still operating as of today.
Moreover, authorities believe that the head of the criminal group is based outside of Cebu.
Oliva assured that their investigation is continuous to apprehend other individuals like Tausa.
“This is still a continuing investigation being done by the NBI and the BIR to arrest all possible corporates of this criminal activity,” he stated.
READ: BIR sues fake tax ID seller preying on Chinese workers
On Wednesday, July 17, Tausa was subjected to inquest proceedings before the Talisay City Prosecutor’s Office.
Charges for violation of Section 4 of the Revised Penal Code; the Cybercrime Law; and the National Internal Revenue Code, specifically for the falsification of public documents, were filed against her.
As of this writing, she remains detained at the custodial facility of the NBI-7 headquarters in Cebu City.
Following Tausa’s arrest, Lawyer Jay Rozen Bartazan from the BIR legal division warned other criminal personalities that they will not stop until all perpetrators of this type of crime are held accountable.
“Let this serve as a warning to those who are still engaged in this type of printing of fake TIN cards that the BIR, together with the NBI, will continue to go after all of you and there is nowhere you can go where the arms of the law will not be able to catch you,” he stated.