Romance cons reap $2m in a week in WA
Gullible West Australians have reported being conned out of
more than $2 million in just one week, including an elderly man who lost
$1 million in a romance scam.
Despite repeated warnings, WA's Consumer Protection department said between August 5 and 9, 24 people reported losing money in various scams.
That included a man in his late 70s from WA's Great Southern region who admitted he handed over $1 million during a complex romance fraud, which started more than three years ago and has left him destitute.
The fraud was only discovered after the man sent a large sum of cash to Ghana.
Another victim has reported losing half a million dollars in an investment scam.
And yet another reported losing $18,000 in a 'help me' scam, after being duped into believing a Croatian relative needed the money to come to Australia for urgent health reasons.
Anne Driscoll, WA's Commissioner for Consumer Protection, said the financial losses suffered by scam victims were enormous.
"People who have fallen victim to the clever tactics of professional and well-organised criminals not only suffer huge financial losses, but their confidence, trust and self-esteem are seriously eroded as well," Ms Driscoll said.
"It's heart-breaking to hear the stories of victims who, in many cases, have lost their life savings and also suffer the emotional and psychological effects of their traumatic experience."
Late last year, 67-year-old WA woman Jette Jacobs was found dead in a rented villa after travelling to South Africa to visit a Nigerian love interest authorities believe was scamming her.
And earlier this week, a Nigerian man was arrested in his home country after attempting to sell a Perth property that was not his, using forged documents.
AAP
Despite repeated warnings, WA's Consumer Protection department said between August 5 and 9, 24 people reported losing money in various scams.
That included a man in his late 70s from WA's Great Southern region who admitted he handed over $1 million during a complex romance fraud, which started more than three years ago and has left him destitute.
The fraud was only discovered after the man sent a large sum of cash to Ghana.
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Two others victims said they had lost $180,000 and $91,000 each in separate romance frauds.Another victim has reported losing half a million dollars in an investment scam.
And yet another reported losing $18,000 in a 'help me' scam, after being duped into believing a Croatian relative needed the money to come to Australia for urgent health reasons.
Anne Driscoll, WA's Commissioner for Consumer Protection, said the financial losses suffered by scam victims were enormous.
"People who have fallen victim to the clever tactics of professional and well-organised criminals not only suffer huge financial losses, but their confidence, trust and self-esteem are seriously eroded as well," Ms Driscoll said.
"It's heart-breaking to hear the stories of victims who, in many cases, have lost their life savings and also suffer the emotional and psychological effects of their traumatic experience."
Late last year, 67-year-old WA woman Jette Jacobs was found dead in a rented villa after travelling to South Africa to visit a Nigerian love interest authorities believe was scamming her.
And earlier this week, a Nigerian man was arrested in his home country after attempting to sell a Perth property that was not his, using forged documents.
AAP
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Australianos do Ocidente têm relatado sendo enganados de mais de US $ 2 milhões em apenas uma semana, incluindo um homem idoso que perdeu US $ 1 milhão em um golpe romance.
Apesar dos avisos repetidos, o departamento de Defesa do Consumidor de WA disse que entre 5 e 9 de agosto, 24 pessoas relataram a perda de dinheiro em vários golpes.
Isso incluiu um homem de mais de 70 anos da Grã região Sul de WA que admitiu que entregou mais de US $ 1 milhão durante uma fraude romance complexo, que começou há mais de três anos atrás e deixou-o na miséria.
A fraude só foi descoberta depois que o homem enviou uma grande soma de dinheiro para Gana.
Duas outras vítimas disseram ter perdido US $ 180.000 e 91.000 dólares cada um em fraudes romances separados.
Outra vítima relatou perder meio milhão de dólares em um esquema fraudulento de investimento.
E ainda outro relataram a perda de US $ 18.000 em um 'me ajude' scam, depois de ter sido enganados em acreditar que um parente croata precisava do dinheiro para vir para a Austrália por razões urgentes de saúde.
Anne Driscoll, Comissário da WA de Defesa do Consumidor, disse que as perdas financeiras sofridas pelas vítimas de golpes eram enormes.
"As pessoas que foram vítimas das táticas inteligentes de criminosos profissionais e bem organizado, não só sofrer grandes perdas financeiras, mas a sua confiança, a confiança ea auto-estima está seriamente corroída também", disse a Sra. Driscoll.
"É de partir o coração para ouvir as histórias de vítimas que, em muitos casos, perderam as suas poupanças e também sofrem os efeitos emocionais e psicológicos de sua experiência traumática."
No ano passado, 67-year-old mulher Jette WA Jacobs foi encontrado morto em uma casa alugada depois de viajar para a África do Sul para visitar um nigeriano autoridades interesse amoroso acreditar foi golpes dela.
E no início desta semana, um homem nigeriano foi preso em seu país de origem depois de tentar vender um imóvel Perth que não era o seu, usando documentos falsos.
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