AFP gathers intel after Manila scam ‘boiler room’ raid

The Australian Federal Police is working to identify victims of a “scam compound” operating in Manila that was raided by authorities, resulting in the arrest of “more than 250 suspected cyber criminals”.

The AFP said in a statement that two of its members, together with a “Manila based-AFP liaison officer”, accompanied local authorities to “search the scam compound for intelligence relating to Australian scam victims.”

Philippine authorities “arrested more than 190 foreign nationals and 68 Filipino nationals for alleged immigration offences, plus seized more than 300 computer towers, more than 1000 mobile phones and thousands of SIM cards,” the AFP said.

The scammers allegedly targeted victims seeking online romance, building trust before “asking them to invest money in a fraudulent cryptocurrency trading platform.”

AFP Assistant Commissioner David McLean commended Philippines authorities “for their work in identifying this boiler room and taking swift action to shut it down.”

McLean said that intelligence gathered by the AFP would aid similar investigations.

“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,” he said.

“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.”