The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have successfully dismantled a scam call centre in the Philippines, arresting over 250 individuals involved in targeting Australian men aged 35 and older through dating apps and social media.

This operation, named Operation Firestorm, is part of a broader initiative to disrupt offshore organized crime syndicates engaged in romance and investment scams against Australians.

The raid, which took place last month in Pasay City, was initiated due to suspected immigration violations at the scam centre.

During the operation, authorities apprehended 190 foreign nationals and 68 Filipinos on immigration charges, while also seizing over 300 computers, 1,000 mobile phones, and thousands of SIM cards.

AFP Assistant Commissioner David McLean highlighted that this was the first time investigators accessed a suspected scam compound, providing crucial intelligence about the operational structure of these scams.

Insights gained from the operation, particularly from an AFP cryptocurrency expert, have revealed the financial and money laundering tactics used within these call centres, which will inform future crime-fighting strategies.

The scammers operated in shifts to align their activities with Australian time zones, building trust with victims before promoting a fraudulent cryptocurrency trading platform.

In light of these developments, the AFP has issued a warning to Australians, urging them to be cautious of romance scams and to be skeptical of urgent requests for personal information and money.

Victims are advised to verify the identity of online contacts, request video calls, and trust their instincts regarding suspicious interactions.

Authorities are actively working to identify Australian victims of these romance scams and understand the methods used by scammers to extract money from them.

So far, the AFP has identified 50 Australian victims, but estimates suggest that thousands may have been targeted based on intelligence from Philippine authorities.

The AFP is collaborating with the Philippines' Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to gather further intelligence on these operations.