Police arrest call center executive

A POLICEMAN examines piles of computers that were seized during a raid on the office of the call center Interface Techno-Phil Inc. in Cebu City. JUNJIE MENDOZA/CEBU DAILY NEWS

CEBU CITY—Police raided an outbound call center company at Cebu Business Park in Cebu City early Friday on suspicion that it had been duping Americans into buying bogus gift cards.

Police later arrested Rolando Hornales, vice president for external affairs of Interface Techno-Phil Inc., for allegedly attempting to bribe the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) with P300,000 in exchange for not seizing all its 300 computers.

But company lawyer Glenn Villariza explained that the money was intended for the bail bond of the supervising agents who were arrested during the raid.

He denied that the company was engaged in illegal activity. “The operation is legal,” he said.

ACG operatives seized more than 300 computers and invited for questioning almost 100 employees.

Senior Inspector Michael Vertudazo, ACG chief in Central Visayas, said the owners and officers of the call center company, which had been operating for three years, faced criminal charges.

Vertudazo said authorities received a tip from five employees that Interface Techno-Phil had been duping customers.

Two of the employees signed an affidavit that convinced the judge to issue a search warrant, Vertudazo said.

He said call center agents would call customers in the United States and ask them to buy a registration card, which would cost $2.99 excluding processing fees, in exchange for $100 gift card vouchers for all gasoline station in the United States, gift cards exclusive for Walmart and other freebies.