Philippines arrests Chinese fugitive wanted for telecom fraud

The Philippine Bureau of Immigration arrested Chen Yongzhou, a 39-year-old Chinese national, in Parañaque City on October 14, 2026. Chen is wanted in China for his alleged involvement in a telecommunications fraud syndicate that operated between 2023 and 2024.

According to Chinese authorities, the syndicate used voice phishing via WeChat to target victims through fraudulent romance schemes. Victims were allegedly persuaded to invest in a platform falsely linked to the Shanghai Gold Exchange, resulting in losses exceeding 4.73 million renminbi, or approximately US$706,000.

The arrest followed a request from the Chinese Embassy in Manila for Chen’s deportation to face criminal proceedings in Hefei. Immigration records indicate Chen arrived in the Philippines as a tourist in June 2018 and had overstayed his authorized period of stay.

Chen is currently being held at the Parañaque City Jail. While deportation proceedings are being processed, he is also facing a separate, independent murder charge in a local Regional Trial Court.