Police help would-be victims avoid online love scams on Valentine’s Day

Kathleen Oehlers of the Australian Federal Police talks during a press conference in Manila, Philippines, Friday

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.

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.

“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.

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.

After an investigation, Australian and Philippine police found the syndicate had attempted to victimize about 5,000 people in Australia alone. They were trying to check if those Australians have already been defrauded, Australian Federal Police officer Kathleen Oehlers said in a news conference in Manila with Philippine anti-crime officials.

About $15 million have been lost to such online love scams from victims in Australia last year alone, according to Oehlers.

Under the scheme, the suspects would hunt for potential victims, mostly fully employed males, in online dating apps and then use romantic dialogues to develop a whirlwind romance online. A victim would later be encouraged by a scammer under cover of a fake picture and identity to invest in cryptocurrency, initially with relatively small amounts, before shifting the funds to the syndicate’s account, Oehlers said.

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. They included being wary of red flags like “overly affectionate behavior,” he said.

Philippine authorities would take similar steps to foster vigilance, Cruz said.

“The scammer would portray a kind-hearted Filipino woman living in Australia or a local female resident in the Philippines, heartbroken by an ex-fiance who wanted my money, not my love,’” the statement said.

“I’m sorry if our first day of chat is very emotional. By the way, how’s your business?” according to one of the scripts used by the syndicate to shift the topic to cryptocurrency investment.

Last year, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the closure of the mostly Chinese-run online gaming operations up to the end of 2024, accusing them of venturing into crimes, including financial scams, human trafficking, torture, kidnappings and murder.

The Chinese-run online gambling outfits were estimated to number more than 400 across the Philippines and employ hundreds of thousands of Chinese and Southeast Asian nationals.

The ban forced many remaining syndicates to break into smaller outfits in the Philippines and diversify their operations into an array of online love, cryptocurrency and investment scams, the Philippine anti-organized crime commission said. MDT/AP