26 September 2023

Scammers put heart in online rip-offs

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Scamwatch has released new figures showing that online romance scams made up one fifth of losses across all scams reported to the watchdog in 2019.

Deputy Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Delia Rickard said scammers were increasingly using online dating platforms to find their victims.

“We’ve seen an increase in reports from people who did not originally seek an online relationship but have been caught up in a dating and romance scam,” Ms Rickard said.

“No longer are dating websites the only contact method for dating and romance scams, with an increasing number of reports coming from these emerging websites and apps.”

She said Australians reported almost 4,000 dating and romance scams to Scamwatch in 2019, with losses of more than $28.6 million.

“And these numbers will be just the tip of the iceberg,” Ms Rickard said.

“Around 37.5 per cent of reports resulted in a loss, with an average loss of more than $19,000.”

She said beyond traditional dating websites, the highest losses were from romance scams originating on Instagram and Facebook, while conventional dating platforms like Tinder or Match.com also reported high losses.

“Romance scams are particularly devastating because not only are there financial losses, but there is also an emotional toll for the victim, which can have lasting psychological impacts on people,” Ms Rickard said.

She said a new trend emerging in 2019 was scammers turning to apps like Google Hangouts, or online games such as Words with Friends and Scrabble to con their victims.

“Don’t give out personal information, including your financial details, to anybody you haven’t met in person, no matter who they say they are, and don’t share intimate photos or use webcams in an intimate setting,” Ms Rickard said.

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