5,000 Australians targeted by scam hub in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Over 5,000 Australians were targeted by an illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) that was raided in Pasay City in October, according to Philippine and Australian investigation agencies.

In a joint statement, the Australian Federal Police, National Anti-Scam Center, Philippine Anti-Organized Crime Commission and National Bureau of Investigation said the potential victims, mostly Australian men above 50 years, were lured into sending 300 to 500 Australian dollars.

When the victims agree, the scammers would ask them to send more money for an investment.

Authorities said the potential victims were informed by the National Anti-Scam Center through text messages that they were targeted by love scammers based in the Philippines.

“The scammers, using popular online dating apps, would trick victims into a fake online romantic relationship before convincing them to purchase legitimate cryptocurrency,” the joint statement read.

“We urge anyone who received a text message warning from the National Anti-Scam Center to take it very seriously and refrain from sending money to people you’ve met online,” it added.

If they have already sent money, authorities said the victims should “take the necessary steps.”

According to the joint statement, the would-be victims were identified after a deeper probe into the operations of the raided POGO hub.

Investigators who examined gadgets under Operation Firestorm, which operates against offshore organized crime networks, were able to identify Australian-based phone numbers in the messages found on an end-to-end encryption platform on several devices.

According to the statement, the fraudsters often posed as a Filipina working in Australia or as a resident in the Philippines.