A 29-YEAR-OLD woman was arrested for allegedly selling fake Bureau of Internal Revenue’s tax identification number and Philhealth cards during an entrapment operation by the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI 7) on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024.
The suspect, Verlyn Subrian, from Barangay West Poblacion, City of Naga, Cebu, is now detained at the NBI detention cell in Cebu City.
Following a complaint from the BIR 7, the operation was launched against Subrian, who was accused of printing and selling fake documents.
The cards were sold for P150 to P450 each, with higher prices for rush orders.
NBI 7 Director Rennan Augustus Oliva said that due to the continued spread of counterfeit documents, there is a possibility that foreigners looking to reside or conduct business in the country may be involved.
Oliva also mentioned that there are areas in Cebu under surveillance, which could serve as hubs for the production and distribution of fake ID cards.
In an interview with reporters, Subrian denied having foreign customers but admitted that in her two years of running the business, most of the printed cards were sent to her from Manila, and she distributed them to buyers.
Subrian earned P50 for every card sold.
The suspect will face charges for falsification of documents and computer-related forgery.
Lawyer Isaac Darcera of BIR 7 urged the public to process their documents through local offices or online to avoid falling victim to counterfeit schemes.
To verify if a TIN card is legitimate, the QR code on the card can be scanned, which will display the complete data and information of the cardholder in the system.
“Please don’t secure your TIN outside of BIR. More or less, that’s fake. So we encourage everyone, please use our system already—the new BIR website that is so easy to access,” Darcera stated. / ANV / TPT