Globe complaint spurs hackers’ arrest

Two men were arrested for the alleged illegal operation and sale of Internet modems that caused a major telecom firm to lose P10 million in revenues.

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) on Friday announced the arrest of Joseph Calderon and Rodel Ancheta, both Quezon City residents, for “hacking” and illegally activating and distributing Globe WiMax modems.

WiMax is a broadband Internet service from Globe Telecom Inc.

NCRPO spokesperson Chief Insp. Kimberly Molitas Gonzales said the alleged hackers would take a WiMax modem disconnected from Globe services and then reactivate it with unlimited broadband service.

The hackers did it by making a “twin copy” of a legitimate WiMax subscription, she said. The illegal modems were then sold to clients for P3,000 to P5,000 each.

Without having to pay monthly bills, “the users are no longer (recorded as) Globe subscribers,” Gonzales said. The telecom company filed a complaint after losing around P10 million in revenues due to the modus operandi, she added.

Calderon and Ancheta were detained at the NCRPO headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig, on charges of violating the Access Devices Regulation Act, the E-Commerce Act and the Anti-Fencing Law.

The suspects could face fines between P24,000 and P100,000, or at least six months in prison, Gonzales said.

Calderon was arrested in a buy-bust operation at a fast-food outlet on Regalado Street corner Quirino Avenue in Quezon City on Wednesday. He was caught in possession of a “cloned” WiMax modem and antenna booster.

Calderon then squealed on Ancheta, who was arrested the next day also in a buy-bust operation at his residence on

Litex Road, Barangay Commonwealth, Quezon city.

Recovered from Ancheta were one activated and 16 deactivated WiMax modems, a desktop computer used in the reactivation, and 391 scrap WiMax circuit boards.