Don’t be a scam crossed lover this Valentine’s Day

Queenslanders looking for love this Valentine’s Day are being warned to be on alert for scammers vying to steal your money – not your heart.

Last year, Queenslanders lost more than $4.5 million to dating and romance scams.

Across the country, Australians lost $40.6 million to dating and romance scammers in 2022.

Romance scammer red flags can include:

🚩 They profess strong feelings for you very quickly and ask to chat with you privately.

🚩 They tell you an elaborate story and ask for money, gifts, or your credit card details.

🚩 They don’t keep their promises and always have an excuse for why they can't video call or travel to meet you.

🚩 If you don’t send money immediately their messages become more persistent and direct. If you do send money, they continue to ask for more.

If you think you have been scammed, contact your bank or financial institution as soon as possible. You should also contact the platform on which you were scammed and inform them of the circumstances of the scam.

As well as financial losses, romance scams can also cause significant emotional suffering. If you are experiencing emotional distress about your experience with a scam, you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Contact IDCARE if you or someone you know has fallen victim to identity theft. IDCARE is a free, government-funded service which will work with you to develop a specific response plan to your situation and support you through the process. Visit www.idcare.org or call 1300 IDCARE (432273).

You can report scams to the national Scamwatch service at scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam

For more information, visit scamwatch.gov.au/types-of-scams/dating-romance

Quotes attributable to the Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman:

“Scammers are becoming more sophisticated and use a broad range of digital platforms to target their victims such as social media, dating sites and apps, and messaging platforms.”

“They will usually play on a victim’s emotions to build trust before coming up with elaborate stories asking for money to help cover costs for reasons such as illness, injury, a family crisis or for travel.”

“We know that over 65s reported the largest loss in 2022, with almost $13 million lost across Australia.”

“Scam victims can also fall prey to identify fraud, so it’s important that you never share your personal identification documents and be careful what you share on any online profiles.”

ENDS

Media Contact: Phoenix Campbell 0439 949 719