iscover
Share this article on:
Powered by
MOMENTUM
MEDIA
The search for victims began after Philippine authorities took down a major scam compound in Manilla last month.
An Australian Federal Police team is currently investigating a scam compound in Pasay City in central Manilla after Philippine law enforcement agencies took down a romance scam operation in early October 2024.
Philippine authorities arrested more than 250 cyber criminals responsible for the scam operations, and soon after, two AFP members joined their Manilla-based AFP liaison officer to search the compound for evidence of Australian victims of the scammers.
Technical and cryptocurrency experts from the AFP are now working with the Philippines’ Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to identify victims and to better understand how the scammers extracted money from their victims.
Once victims are identified, the AFP-led Joint Policing Cybercrime Collaboration Centre will begin contacting potential victims.
AFP Assistant Commissioner David McLean called the investigation “a significant milestone” for Operation Firestorm, which was established earlier this year to combat foreign cyber crime syndicates.
“A large portion of cyber crime affecting Australians originates offshore, and this action shows how the AFP and its international partners are proactively taking the fight to these syndicates where they operate,” McLean said in a statement.
“We commend the PAOCC and NBI for their work in identifying this boiler room and taking swift action to shut it down.
“I thank them for the trust they have shown in the AFP by allowing us to work with them.
“We have gathered valuable intelligence on the structure of these types of scam call centres, how they are targeting Australians and the ways to help identify victims.
“An AFP cryptocurrency expert was given a unique insight into the financial and money laundering structures operating within these hubs, and that will be immensely helpful in developing our strategies in combating this crime impacting Australia.”
If you are a victim of cyber crime, report it to police using Report Cyber.
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
Be the first to hear the latest developments in the cyber industry.
