Perth Grandfather Loses $300,000 and His Home in Devastating Three-Year Romance Scam
An 80-year-old grandfather from Perth has lost approximately $300,000 and his home after falling victim to a romance scam that lasted for three years.
Lyle Lambie said he was looking for companionship when he met a woman on Facebook whom he believed was genuine.
“I met her on Facebook and I thought it was a genuine woman. She was saying she’s madly in love with me and everything,” Lambie said.
According to Lambie, the online relationship gradually turned into repeated requests for financial assistance. The woman claimed on several occasions that she was in hospital and needed help. She also persuaded him to pay for airfare from the United States to Australia, passports, and other expenses. Many of the payments were made through prepaid gift cards.
“A few times she said she was in hospital and needed help. I paid for airfare from America to Australia and paid for passports and everything else, and it was just never-ending,” he said.
Over the course of three years, Lambie lost up to $300,000 to the scammer.
The financial losses ultimately forced him to give up the home where he had lived for more than 20 years. Unable to meet his financial obligations, his property was repossessed by the bank.
“We lost everything,” Lambie said.
Consumer protection experts warn that romance scammers often rely on long-term emotional manipulation and encourage victims to keep the relationship secret.
John McMaster from Consumer Protection urged people to discuss suspicious online relationships with family members or trusted friends and stressed that they should never send money to someone they have met only online.
Although it is too late to recover his losses, Lambie has chosen to speak publicly about his experience in the hope of preventing others from becoming victims of similar scams.
“Just be careful and wary and stay away from these scammers. They’re online because they’re out to get everything out of you as much as they can,” he warned.
