“The Australian Federal Police is flipping the script on romance scammers this Valentine’s Day by revealing real-life dialogue used to target the bank accounts — and hearts — of thousands of potential victims online,” a joint statement by the Australian police, the Philippine Anti-Organized Crime Commission and other law enforcement agencies said.
The Australian Federal Police, with the help of Filipino authorities, on Friday publicized online dialogues used by an online love scam syndicate, which had been dismantled in the Philippines, to help foster vigilance.
Philippine Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz, who heads the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, said that aside from publicizing the dialogues used by the syndicate to lure and defraud victims, the Australian police also provided crucial tips online.
Australian and Philippine authorities took steps on Valentine’s Day to help would-be victims avoid hurting their “hearts and bank accounts” in online love scams.
Philippine authorities raided the syndicate’s hideout near Manila in October, arrested more than 250 mostly Chinese suspected members and seized computers and other gadgets used in the online fraud.
