A police raid in the Philippines has prompted local authorities to contact thousands of Australians warning them to be alert to potential scams.
Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commander Cybercrime Operations Graeme Marshall said texts had been sent to more than 5000 potential victims warning them they may have been targeted by romance scammers based in the Asian country.
Commander Marshall said more than 300 computer towers, 1000 mobile phones and thousands of SIM cards were located by Philippines authorities as a result of Operation Firestorm, which uncovered a scam compound operating in central Manila, in November, last year.
He said evidence gathered during the investigation had been shared with international law enforcement partners to help identify potential victims, including those who may not be aware they had been targeted.
“Under Operation Firestorm (authorities) identified more than 5000 Australian-based phone numbers linked to messages found on an end-to-end encryption platform on the devices.
“The National Anti-Scam Centre has today texted potential victims, who are mostly male, urging them not to send money to people they’ve met online and outlined next steps to take if they have already sent money to the scammers.”
Commander Marshall said Operation Firestorm was a global operation launched to address and disrupt offshore organised crime networks deceiving Australians through romance, cryptocurrency and investment scams.
He said the significant amount of technology located during the operation required extensive analysis, and technical and cryptocurrency experts spent hundreds of hours extracting crucial evidence.
“It is alleged the scammers, using popular online dating apps, tricked victims into a fake online romantic relationship, before convincing them to purchase legitimate cryptocurrency.
“They would request a minimum first investment between AUD $300 – $800 dollars, before encouraging the victim to invest more money.”
Commander Marshall said the suspected scammer would then deceive the victim into transferring funds from the legitimate crypto exchange account into the scammer’s account.
He said most of the Australian victims targeted were men over 35, with the fraudsters posing as either a Filipino female working in Australia or a local female resident in the Philippines.
“The investigation has so far resulted in the arrest of more than 250 suspects by Philippine law enforcement authorities.”
Commander Marshall said if someone had already sent money or cryptocurrency, they should report it to their bank immediately, then to police via ReportCyber.
“To help others avoid similar scams, you can also report it to ScamWatch.”
