By Benjamin Pulta

MANILA – The Presidential Anti-Organizer Crime Commission (PAOCC) on Friday said it is collaborating with foreign counterparts following a recent report of the Australian Federal Police on the number of possible Australian victims from a raided scam farm in Pasay City in October 2024.
The joint statement of PAOCC, Australian Federal Police National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC) and the Philippines’ National Bureau of Investigation said Australian authorities have alerted more than 5,000 potential victims in Australia through text messages that they may have been targeted by romance scammers based in the Philippines.
“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. Thus, the Presidential Anti-Organizer Crime Commission remains fully committed in collaborating with its foreign counterparts to rid the country of these scam farms,” PAOCC Director Winston John Casio said in a statement.
The Australian NASC, in partnership with the Armed Forces of the Philippines-led Joint Policing Cybercrime Collaboration Centre, said identified potential victims are mostly male over 35 years of age.
The potential victims were identified following an investigation by Philippine authorities.
They were urged not to send money to people they met online and outlined steps to take if they have already sent money to the scammers.
The scammers, posing as either a Filipino female working in Australia or a local female resident in the Philippines, allegedly use popular online dating apps to trick victims into a fake romantic relationship before convincing them to purchase legitimate cryptocurrency.
They would request a minimum first investment of between AUD300 to AUD800, before encouraging victims to invest more money.
The scammer would then deceive the victim into transferring funds from the legitimate crypto exchange account into the scammer’s account.
The investigation resulted in the arrest of more than 250 suspects by Philippine law enforcement authorities in Pasay City last year.
More than 300 computer towers, 1,000 mobile phones, and thousands of subscriber identity module cards were located by Philippines authorities.
Evidence gathered during the investigation has been shared with international law enforcement partners to help identify potential victims, including those who may not be aware they have been targeted.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission deputy chair Catriona Lowe said Australians reported losing AUD23.6 million to dating and romance scams in 2024. (PNA)