MANILA (UPDATE) - The Philippine National Police Anti Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) has arrested 8 Israeli nationals allegedly behind a multimillion-dollar online investment scam.

During a raid in three offices of the International Branding Development Marketing Inc at the Clark Freeport Zone Wednesday, ACG operatives and Special Action Force troops discovered a call center-like office and arrested at least 480 Filipino call center agents doing outbound calls and enticing clients to invest their money online.

The Israeli bosses were supervising the operations.

• Call center sa Clark na sangkot umano sa scam, ni-raid

ACG said the company was involved in a multimillion-dollar investment scam targeting Europe, New Zealand, Russia, Australia, and South Africa. Victims from these countries were asked to invest in foreign exchange trade, bitcoin, and the stock market.

"Their modus operandi is stock trading scam. They invite investors, they get your bank accounts, credit cards, they ask you to download TeamViewer, transfer of money done online. It has been going on for 2 and half years already. They pretend they are operating in London," PNP-ACG director Chief Supt. Marni Marcos said.

PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said police will investigate how the company managed to operate for a long time without raising red flags.

"Verify natin kung bakit sila na-allow ganun katagal na ganyan ginagawa nila, questionable na wala kang business permit pero nakapag-operate kayo a big call center doon. On the average, transaction nila a day, $1 million dollars a day, parang pyramiding ito," he said.

(We will verify why they were allowed to operate for so long. It's questionable that they had no business permit but they operated a big call center there. Their average transaction is $1 million a day, it's like a pyramid scam.)

Two retired Australians came to the Philippines in hopes of getting their investments back.

“This is our life, gone. Our family has gone. Our money has gone. My family is suffering with no money,” Shelley (not her real name) said.

Shelley said she was curious and clicked on a bitcoin advertisement on the internet before receiving a call.

"I clicked on the bitcoin and the next thing, I got a call from an FTO, asking me for just $250 dollars, and I thought, 'Ok, you’ll make plenty of money',” Shelley said.

The agent then asked her to access her bank account online to place money in other investments.

“They maxed out every other card that I have. Took everything. I have nothing, I can’t even pay my bills," she said.

"I can go to my grave. I can go to my grave with this operation,” she added.

Singaporean-Australian Emma (not her real name), another victim, said she lost half a million Australian dollars.

“I just sold my land. It’s for my children, my money, now it’s gone. Just got $100 dollars left. I suffered from the first day and until now, I have not recovered my money,” Emma said.

According to the victims, the Israeli suspects were only in their late 20s who used Filipinos to scam other people.

“They’re young people, in their late 20s and they are filthy rich from making these people to con us so that they could all enjoy their life. And look at all these people who are just waiting for their salaries so that they can be coached to con all of us,” Emma said.

According to ACG, the suspects make the victims feel like they’re earning money from their investments early on. Once the victims feel confident about the earning potential, they put in all their money.

Rogelio, one of the employees, said they were aware of the modus operandi.

“Modus po kasi nila kaya ayaw nang pag-withdraw-hin ang client. Lugi 'yung company, pati 'yung ahente apektado. Mawawalan po sila ng komisyon, mawawalan po sila ng trabaho. Kumbaga kapit po sa patalim, kailangan po silang sundin, sila po ang amo," he said.

(It's a modus that's why they don't want their clients to withdraw money. The company is in a deficit and the agents are affected as well. They will lose their commissions, their jobs. They're desperate and they have to follow their employers.)

"Ninety percent lahat talo. 'Yung remaining 9 percent, hindi mawi-withdraw, 'yung 1 percent, panalo. Pero 'yung panalo po hindi malaki,” he added.

(Ninety percent lose, 9 percent could not withdraw, only 1 percent wins. But those who win don't get much.)

Rogelio said they feel for the victims especially when they plead to have their money back over the phone.

“Mayroon pong umiiyak, mayroon 'yung hiniwalayan ng asawa, naiwan ng pamilya. Mayroong mga nawalan ng bahay, sinipa sa apartment, walang pambayad ng utang,” he said.

(Some cried, some got separated from their spouse or were deserted by their families. Some lost their homes, were kicked out of their apartments, with no money to pay their debt.)

Rogelio said most of the employees followed their bosses' instructions just so they could keep their jobs.

“Marami na pong complaints, na puwedeng ma-raid, eh sa hirap po ng buhay, mahirap pong maghanap ng trabaho. Hindi po ganoon kadali. Kumbaga, 'yung alam namin pinasukan namin na sabi which is regulated, which is legal, pagdating dito nakasanayan na po namin na iba ang kalakaran. It’s like take it or leave it, you can go,” Rogelio said.

(There were lots of complaints, that we could be raided. Life is hard, it's difficult to find a job. We were told that what we were getting into was regulated, legal. When we came here, we got used to how it's different. It’s like take it or leave it, you can go.)

Senior Insp. Artemio Cinco Jr., PNP ACG spokesperson, said a white board in the office illustrated the agent’s performance and the amount they got from the investors.

“Kung makikita mo, sa Team Lenny pa lang, $800,000 na. So we have four teams dito. Palakihan sila. Per commission basis sila eh, 1:1, $1,000 is to P1,000,” he said.

The company's legal counsel refused to comment and said some disgruntled employees just wanted to ruin the company.