Pasig, Philippines – A woman was sentenced to four years in prison by a court in Pasig City on Friday after being found guilty of illegally selling an ATM card online, in the first known conviction under the country’s newly enacted anti-financial scam law.
The 36-year-old, identified by authorities only by the alias “Kyla,” was arrested during a June 4 sting operation by the Eastern District Anti-Cybercrime Team (EDACT), part of the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP ACG).
She was charged with violating Section 5(d) of Republic Act No. 12010, also known as the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA) of 2024.
The law, signed last year, criminalizes the sale, possession, or misuse of financial accounts—including ATM cards—for fraudulent purposes, amid a surge in cybercrime and digital financial scams across the country.
Brigadier General Bernard Yang, acting chief of the PNP ACG, welcomed the ruling, calling it a “milestone” in the enforcement of the new law. “Bank accounts, when sold or misused, can be weaponized by criminal groups for online fraud and money laundering,” he said in a statement.
Yang also urged the public to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activities involving the trade of bank accounts to cybercrime units.
Authorities say cybercriminal syndicates often exploit “money mules”—people who sell or lend their bank accounts—to conceal the proceeds of scams, including phishing and investment fraud. The government has stepped up enforcement through AFASA in an effort to dismantle these networks.