The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has issued a fresh warning about increasingly sophisticated scams after investigators uncovered a detailed script used by criminals in a Cambodian scam compound to impersonate AFP officers.
The script was discovered in the wake of a January 2026 raid by the Royal Thai Military on a scam compound in the town of O’Smach, Cambodia. Thai authorities alerted the Royal Thai Police, which shared the intelligence with the AFP.
Investigators also found AFP logos and signage used to make the operation appear legitimate during video calls with victims.
According to the AFP, the scammers followed a carefully structured script in which they contacted victims claiming to be AFP officers investigating a money laundering case. Victims were falsely told a bank account had been opened in their name by a criminal suspect.
The operation then escalated to encrypted video calls, during which victims were asked to verify their identities, provide formal statements, and identify purported suspects. Victims were subsequently pressured into sharing detailed financial information and banking details.
The script also instructed scammers to impose what they described as a “temporary surveillance protocol”, requiring victims to check in every four hours, report unknown contacts, and provide signed or video-recorded declarations. Investigators believe these measures were designed to increase psychological pressure and ensure victim compliance.
The ultimate objective was to obtain banking credentials and gain access to victims’ accounts.
The AFP identified the personal details of approximately 300 potential Australian victims linked to the scam centre. Those individuals were contacted by the National Anti-Scam Centre via text message in February 2026.
AFP acting Superintendent Nuckhley Succar said the operation demonstrated the increasingly sophisticated nature of cyber-enabled fraud.
“This script was sophisticated, convincing, and was designed to target victims via social engineering to play on their trust,” acting Superintendent Succar said in a 9 June statement.
“But while the scammers may have thought they were smart, the AFP and our law enforcement partners are smarter.”
Acting Superintendent Succar said the case illustrated how cyber criminal groups continue to evolve their tactics, blending traditional fraud techniques with digital communications platforms and psychological manipulation.
“Let me be clear about one thing – the AFP will never ask you to verify your bank details or ask for money over the phone or in a video call. If someone posing as an AFP member asks for those details, end the call immediately,” he said.
Investigations by the Royal Thai Police remain ongoing.
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David Hollingworth
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.