Script reveals methods of Cambodian centre scamming Australians

A 96-page training script obtained by ABC News details how an operation based in Cambodia's Sihanoukville region targeted Australian victims. The document outlines a phased approach in which victims are first contacted via social media by operators posing as "investment advisers," then groomed with small payouts on fake crypto platforms, before larger transfers are blocked.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's most recent annual report shows losses from crypto-investment scams exceeded A$200 million in the past year, with more than 4,500 victims. An ACCC spokesperson said the manual had evidentiary value and had been shared with INTERPOL.

The Australian Federal Police said on Monday it had set up a dedicated "Anti-Trafficked-Scam" task force and that the first operational steps under a new mutual legal assistance arrangement with Phnom Penh would come within weeks. Cambodia's Interior Ministry said raids should proceed in coordination with Australian counterparts; the United States and the European Union also indicated readiness to share intelligence.