South Australia Police (SAPOL) issued a warning about romance scams and provided guidance on how to avoid becoming a victim.
According to police, more than $1 million has already been lost this year to 84 reported romance scams in South Australia. Nationally, the figure rises to $12 million across 1,415 reports, with women over 55 experiencing the highest individual losses.
The problem was even more widespread in 2024, when fraudsters stole more than $23.5 million through 3,204 reported romance scams across Australia. In South Australia alone, $1.7 million was lost from 176 cases during the same year.
“Romance scammers are criminals who fabricate a fairytale romantic connection with the intention to persuade or pressure someone into sending money,” Cybercrime Sergeant David Mitchell said.
Red flags:
- A convincing sob story highlighting the need to borrow money.
- Quick to fall in love or you develop a fast, close friendship.
- Promises of love, overly flirtatious and complimentary.
- They ask you to only trust them and keep things secret.
- Scammers may send their victim small gifts to “ensure they are genuine”.
- Their webcam isn’t working.
- Promises to meet in person, however there is always an excuse to delay/postpone.
- Scammers will tell you what to say to bank tellers/checkout operators when they ask what you want money/gift cards for.
Tips to help keep you safe:
- Never send money to someone you haven’t met in person.
- Always consider the possibility that the approach may be a scam and try to remove the emotion from your decision.
- Conduct an image search of your admirer to help determine if they really are who they say they are.
- Be alert to things like spelling and grammar mistakes, inconsistencies in their stories and other signs that it may be a scam such as their camera never working.
- Be cautious when sharing personal pictures or videos with prospective partners, especially if you’ve never met them before. Scammers are known to blackmail their targets using compromising material.
Real-life example:
Six months ago, Julie met someone who she believed was the love of her life on an online dating platform. She shared a lot in common with her newfound love, and planned for this partner to fly from the United States to Adelaide to buy a house together. However, her new partner fell ill, and unable to pay for their hospital bills, asked if Julie would help. Julie sent $5000 to cover the initial hospital bill, but soon they required surgery and needed additional money. After $20,000 was sent, her partner was better, but then they began having issues with their visa, unless Julie could send through money to help. Julie sent through another $5000 to get their partner to Perth, but once there they fell ill again, requiring more money for surgery. Julie, blinded by love, was about to send more money but her daughter was able to stop her, convincing her mother that she was being scammed. Julie was left emotionally broken and $30,000 poorer.
Report
– If you have suffered harm or loss because of a scam, make a report at www.cyber.gov.au/report or attend your local police station.
Support
- Talk to friends and family
- eSafety Commissioner – www.esafety.gov.au
- Victims of Crime SA – www.voc.sa.gov.au
- Lifeline – 13 11 14 or www.lifeline.org.au
- Rebuild Victim Counselling – www.rasa.org.au
