Over 5,000 Australians warned of romance scam from PH
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MANILA, Philippines — Over 5,000 Australians received warnings via text from the Australian Federal Police (AFP), cautioning them of a romance scam originating from the Philippines.
“The potential victims were identified following an investigation by Philippines authorities into a scam compound operating in central Manila in November 2024,” the AFP said in a report made public Friday.
“Authorities have texted more than 5000 potential victims in Australia to warn they may have been targeted by romance scammers based in the Philippines,” it added.
The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) confirmed in a message to the Philippine media Friday that the compound in question was the Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) raided in the Kimberhi Building in Pasay City last October.
According to the AFP, the scammers use popular dating apps to lure victims into an online relationship and then convince them to purchase legitimate cryptocurrency at an initial value of AU$300 to 800 (roughly P10,897 to 29,058) before encouraging them to invest more.
Article continues after this advertisementThe suspects would then trick victims into transferring funds from the legitimate cryptocurrency exchange account into their accounts, AFP explained.
Article continues after this advertisement“Most of the Australian victims targeted were men over 35. The fraudsters posed as either a Filipino female working in Australia or a local female resident in the Philippines,” the Australian police said.
“The investigation has so far resulted in the arrest of more than 250 suspects by Philippine law enforcement authorities,” it added.
The AFP urged recipients of the text message warning to refrain from sending money to people they met online and report to their banks and the proper authorities if they have fallen victim to the scam.
The report was a joint release of the AFP, the Australian National Anti-Scam Centre, the PAOCC and the Philippines’ National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
“The recent report of the Australian Federal Police on the number of possible Australian victims from the raided Kimberhi scam farm underscores the transnational reach of these organized crime groups,” PAOCC Media Director Winston Casio said in a statement Friday.
“Thus, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission remains fully committed [to] collaborating with its foreign counterparts to rid the country of these scam farms,” he added.