- Scammers file fake complaints through Australia’s official ReportCyber portal, then call victims claiming to be AFP officers and use the report as “proof.”
- The fraudsters, sometimes with a second caller posing as a crypto platform representative, use this “veneer of legitimacy” to trick victims into moving their crypto to a “secure” wallet.
- The AFP reminded the public that no law enforcement officer will ever ask for access to or transfer of a person’s cryptocurrency or financial accounts.
Scammers will go to any extent to defraud people, even if that means hijacking Australia’s cybercrime reporting system to pose as federal police officers and trick victims into sending away their crypto.
According to a Wednesday alert from the Australian Federal Police (AFP), fraudsters are submitting fake complaints through ReportCyber, the government’s official online portal for cybercrime. They then call the targeted person, claim to be from the AFP, and use the bogus report as proof that their call is legitimate.
In one case outlined by police, a victim received a call from someone claiming to be an AFP officer, who said their details appeared in a cryptocurrency data breach. The caller gave a ReportCyber reference number and directed the person to check it, which matched what had been filed.
Related: ASX Trader Explains Bitcoin’s Fall Below $100K — and the Hidden Signals Pointing to a 2026 Market Trap
An Emerging Scam Model
A second caller, pretending to represent a crypto platform, then rang back using the same reference number and urged the victim to move funds to a “secure” cold wallet. The target became suspicious and ended the call before transferring any assets.
Police said similar scams often use spoofed numbers that imitate AFP phone lines. AFP Detective Superintendent Marie Andersson said the scam offered a “veneer of legitimacy”:
These cybercriminals step through a process to verify the target’s personal information which may match common expectations. What’s more, because they move quickly from making the report to calling the target, they can create a sense of urgency.
Marie Andersson, AFP Detective SuperintendentIn any case, Andersson encouraged users to be extremely cautious online and reminded users that no law enforcement officer will ever ask for access to their crypto funds.
Also bear in mind legitimate law enforcement officials will never request access to your cryptocurrency accounts, wallets, bank accounts, cryptocurrency wallet seed phrases, or any personal information relating to your financial accounts.
Marie Andersson, AFP Detective SuperintendentRead more: Bitcoin User Accidentally Pays US$105K Fee to Send Just US$10
Credit: Source link
