- Scammers use Australia‘s official cybercrime platform to impersonate federal police and steal cryptocurrencies.
- Fraudulent reports use stolen personal data to gain victims’ trust via calls posing as law enforcement.
- The scheme exploits ReportCyber’s third-party reporting feature to add credibility.
- Authorities stress genuine officers never ask for crypto or banking access.
- Australian regulators are intensifying efforts against crypto fraud and related crimes.
Fraudsters are exploiting Australia’s national cybercrime reporting system to impersonate federal police officers and steal from cryptocurrency wallets. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) warned that scammers file false reports on ReportCyber, the government’s official platform for reporting cybercrimes, using stolen personal information. They then call victims, posing as AFP officers, to convince them to transfer digital assets.
The scam gains credibility because criminals validate stolen information in ways “that match common expectations” and act quickly to create urgency, as AFP Detective Superintendent Marie Andersson explained in a statement. Cybercriminals have obtained personal data such as email addresses and phone numbers to submit bogus reports via the platform, according to the AFP-led Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre.
ReportCyber allows third-party reporting on behalf of victims, and scammers exploit this feature to establish trust. In one example, a victim was contacted by someone claiming to be an AFP officer and told they were involved in a crypto-related data breach. The scammer provided an official-looking ReportCyber reference number matching the fraudulent report filed earlier. Another caller, pretending to be from a crypto platform, used the same reference number to push for a transfer to a fake cold storage wallet. The victim became suspicious and ended the call before any funds were moved. Police noted scammers also use spoofed phone numbers to mimic real AFP lines.
Andersson urged vigilance, saying Australians should “check for warning signs, and protect themselves.” Authorities highlighted that authentic officers will never request access to crypto accounts, seed phrases, or banking information. Anyone contacted about a ReportCyber report they did not file should hang up and call 1300 CYBER1, she said, emphasizing that genuine reports remain important for law enforcement.
The alert comes as Australian regulators increase enforcement against crypto-related fraud. Last month, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke proposed legislation to regulate crypto ATMs, calling them a “high-risk product” linked to money laundering and child exploitation. In August, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission reported having taken down about 3,015 crypto scam websites out of 14,000 total fraudulent sites removed in two years. Meanwhile, AUSTRAC CEO Brendan Thomas identified digital currencies as a top threat and described new anti-money laundering regulations as “the most ambitious overhaul of Australia’s anti-money laundering laws in a generation.”
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