Thirteen people, including five Australians, who allegedly ran a Thai-based scam centre set up to fleece Australian victims out of millions of dollars have been arrested after Thai authorities shut down the scam centre on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand.
An investigation by the AFP, under the Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre's (JPC3) Operation Firestorm, with Royal Thai Police (RTP) into the sophisticated investment scam led authorities to execute warrants at the property, which was operating as a scam 'boiler room', yesterday (Monday, 16 June, 2025).
The 13 men - five Australian citizens, as well as six United Kingdom nationals, one Canadian and one South African - were arrested at the boiler room and later charged by the RTP with offences relating to conspiracy to commit an offence, contrary to section 210 of the Thai Criminal Code.
This offence carries a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment.
It is alleged members of the organised criminal syndicate running the investment bond scam robbed multiple victims in Australia since operations started out of a Bangkok residential property in April, 2025. Items found at the property suggest the scammers amassed more than $1.9 million in suspected stolen funds from Australians following just two months of its operation.
The JPC3's Operation Firestorm and the RTP investigation began after Australian authorities received credible information that Australians were recruited by the syndicate to participate in the scam operation. The AFP alerted RTP through its International Network as the agencies began sharing intelligence on the suspects involved, including their location.
It is alleged the scammers pretended to be representatives of international financial firms to sell fake high-yield fixed-income bonds.
As part of the alleged criminal network's pitch to build trust and fleece victims, the boiler room workers used a well-orchestrated and detailed script that involved high-pressure sales tactics and forged documentation.
It is further alleged the scammers attempted to appear legitimate by fraudulently using an authentic financial services licence, promising to deliver regular financial returns to their victims and in an unprecedented move, carried out face-to-face meetings online.
Authorities will allege the group transferred funds provided by victims into cryptocurrency before moving it to other accounts.
Thai authorities conducted covert operations on the scam centre, where investigators identified a complex and illegal scam boiler room operation occurring in the six-bedroom house.
RTP investigators, with the assistance of AFP, located and seized dozens of mobile phones and laptops during the search warrant at the premises.
Initial forensic examination of the items identified scripts used by the scammers, as well as a digital spreadsheet containing a list of thousands of potential Australian targets.
Authorities are reviewing documents seized during the warrant to identify if they can recover funds stolen from victims.
The 13 people charged are expected to appear in court in Bangkok at a later date.
The investigation is part of the AFP's Operation Firestorm, a global operation launched by the AFP-led JPC3 in August 2024, to address and disrupt offshore scam centres deceiving Australians, including those that use romance and investment baiting as a cyber-enabled fraud methodology.
AFP Assistant Commissioner Richard Chin said this was one of the most elaborate investment scam operations the AFP had encountered and the collaboration with Royal Thai Police had been vital for arresting the alleged offenders and shutting down their illegal scam activities.
"Southeast Asia is fast becoming a hot spot for scam centre activity. Since the establishment of the AFP-led Operation Firestorm, three scam centres in Manila have been taken down, resulting in the seizure of thousands of digital devices and hundreds of arrests. This will be the first takedown in Thailand," Assistant Commissioner Chin said.
"These arrests have been a result of the dedication of the AFP and law enforcement partners in Australia and Thailand and have potentially saved tens of thousands of Australians from being financially impacted."
Assistant Commissioner Chin said the AFP's priority was to protect Australians and their savings, from being preyed on by scammers, no matter where those criminals might be based.
"Cybercrime has no borders and it is vital law enforcement agencies work together across borders to disrupt these scam centres and the criminals that operate them," Assistant Commissioner Chin said.
Australians have reported more than $4.45 billion in losses from cyber-enabled fraud, including sophisticated investment scams undertaken by international organised cybercrime groups, in the past four years (2021 to 2024)*.
In 2024, Australians lost more than $945 million to investment scams. Australians lost about $1.3 billion to investment scams in 2023, almost $1.5 billion in 2022 and about $701 million in 2021.*
Assistant Commissioner Chin said these financial losses destroyed the wellbeing of victims and their families.
"These syndicates do not care about their victims and are only interested in the profits this crime type can bring in," Assistant Commissioner Chin said.
"Unfortunately, Australia is a big target for cybercriminals as we are a relatively prosperous country and tend to be very trusting.
"We encourage all Australians to be extremely cautious when approached by someone online offering an investment opportunity.
"If an investment opportunity seems too good to be true, then it probably is."
What to do if you're a victim
- Stop all communication with the scammer.
- Contact your financial institution if you have transferred money or suspect unusual account activity.
- Report it to police using Report Cyber.
- Report suspected scams to ScamWatch to help others avoid similar scams.
- If you were contacted via social media, report it to the social media platform.
- Use strong, unique passphrases on your accounts and enable multi-factor authentication wherever possible.
- If you are concerned your identity has been compromised, contact the national identity and cyber support services, IDCARE.
- If you or someone you know needs help, we encourage you to contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636. They provide 24/7 support services.
About the JCP3
The JCP3 brings together Australian law enforcement and key industry and international partners to fight cybercrime and prevent harm and financial loss to the Australian community.
We are committed to equipping all Australians with the knowledge and resources to protect themselves against cybercrime.
Watch our cybercrime prevention videos and protect yourself from being a victim of cybercrime.
If there is an immediate threat to life, or risk of harm, call 000.
If you are a victim of cybercrime, report it to police using Report Cyber.
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