Australia has warned its residents of scammers exploiting the country’s national cybercrime reporting platforms to defraud crypto users. The warning was issued by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in a joint statement with the Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre (JPC3) on Wednesday.
In its press statement, the AFP mentioned that the criminals are using stolen information and impersonating law enforcement officers to steal funds from digital wallets. The criminals parade themselves as social engineers to steal private data, such as email addresses and phone numbers, then submit fraudulent reports through ReportCyber, the government’s official cybercrime reporting tool.
Once potential victims are identified, the criminals initiate contact, claiming to be AFP officers investigating a cybercrime case. “The scammers verify personal information in ways that match common expectations and act quickly to create a sense of urgency,” AFP Detective Superintendent Marie Andersson said. In a case the AFP explained, the agency revealed that someone received a call from someone claiming to be from the agency.
Australia alerts public over fraudsters using police identities to steal digital assets
The AFP mentioned that in a peculiar case, the fraudster provided an official-looking reference number linked to a supposed ReportCyber submission. The act was done to remove all doubts that the victim could have. The criminal then asked the victim to access the portal and enter their email address to verify the report. Another person, acting as a representative from the victim’s crypto platform, repeated the reference number to convince the individual of the call’s authenticity.
The scammers then urged the target to transfer funds from their platform wallet to a so-called “Cold Storage” account. Fortunately, the victim grew suspicious and ended the call before any funds were lost. “We encourage Australians to adopt necessary safety measures online and take a moment to stop their scroll, check for warning signs of scams, and protect themselves from cybercrime,” Andersson said.
She also added that legitimate law enforcement officers will never request access to cryptocurrency wallets, bank accounts, seed phrases, or other financial information. Victims or those who suspect they are being targeted should immediately terminate calls and notify ReportCyber or call 1300CYBER1 (1300 292 371). AFP Assistant Commissioner Richer Chin also mentioned that Australia became a target due to high levels of household wealth and savings.
“This is organised cybercrime. They’re incredibly well-drilled when it comes to their scripts and how they manipulate us and exploit our generosity,” Chin said. “I’m aware of a case involving an elderly gentleman caught up in a romance scam. He was convinced to part with $1.4 million.” Officials are asking residents of Australia to be cautious, especially when they are interacting with unfamiliar contacts who insist that they are law enforcement or financial institution representatives.
Even with legitimate platforms such as ReportCyber, criminals can manipulate information to appear credible and convince victims to share data or send funds in urgency. “Every cybercrime report can help police track criminals, assist in building intelligence on emerging cyber threats, and prevent other people from being targeted,” Andersson concluded in the recent AFP statement.
