![]() “Alongside the financial losses are the significant emotional impacts for victims of the deception, as well as people who are misrepresented online.” Get the latest news from in your inbox. “In WA alone, more than $2.6 million has been lost in dating and romance scams already this year,” Mr Hillyard said. Then let one of our investigators consult you. He also points out that he is gay, happily married to a man and has no children.Ĭonsumer Protection Commissioner David Hillyard urged consumers to stay vigilant online, particularly with people overseas. ![]() Instead, he has pinned a warning to his Facebook page, encouraging women to ask for a video chat when talking to strangers and never to send money. He tried to answer them all “but there were not enough hours in the day”. Madsen said that, over the past two years, he had been contacted by thousands of women across Europe, Japan, China and Australia checking the bona fides of the fraudsters. “I receive a lot of messages from people who think I’m the person they’ve been talking to.” Camera Icon Capt. “Apparently mine is one of the most copied profiles on the internet,” he said. Thomas Lindegaard Madsen said he was frustrated by the ongoing misuse of his photographs to create false identities. Speaking from Copenhagen yesterday, the “real” Capt. “Don’t hand over any money at all, no matter how emotional or intimidated you feel. “Chat to the person by video, such as on Skype, to make sure they look like their profile picture,” she said. Unfortunately, unscrupulous people sometimes try to use the Google brand to scam and defraud others. ![]() It was a huge lesson for me and I hope other women will be more cautious, especially if anyone asks for money.”įay said it was important to avoid becoming isolated or secretive about online relationships. He was quite convincing and it seemed like the real thing. “I felt very depressed and naïve,” she said. The woman, who was 58 at the time and only wants to be known as Fay, said the scam had taken a financial and emotional toll. Thomas Steve’ Credit: Dept of Consumer Protection The woman was lured into sending money for his “daughter’s birthday” and “school activities”.Ī few weeks later, she was coaxed into transferring more than $9000 from her bank to receive jewellery that the fraudster claimed to have sent through the company Westline Delivery.
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