Relationship scams targeting Australians are becoming more sophisticated.
These scams don’t just cause emotional and financial harm. Australians have found themselves in legal trouble overseas after being scammed into travelling with illegal goods.
Family or close friends of a victim are often the first to notice something is wrong. Telling a loved one they're being scammed is a hard conversation. But it could save them from serious consequences.
How do relationship scams happen?
Relationship scams could be posing as romantic relationships, friendships, recruiters, investors or financial advisors. They will often start through social media or dating and recruitment apps. Then they may move to encrypted online platforms or messaging to hide their identity and control the communication.
Anyone can be a victim of a scam. Scammers are sophisticated and manipulative criminals. They use their victims' personal vulnerabilities to manipulate them.
The risks are more than financial
While scammers may begin their scam while their victim is in Australia, they often exploit victims into travelling overseas by promising romance, friendship, work, money or business opportunities.
Scammers have exploited their victims' trust to convince them to carry packages into other countries. The packages may contain drugs or other illegal goods. The victim usually does not know that the contents of the package are illegal.
If border control authorities in another country find illegal goods, the person carrying them is usually the one who takes the blame. Even if they did not know what they were carrying.
Penalties for carrying illegal drugs can be severe and include the death penalty in some countries. The Australian Government is limited in how it can help if your loved one is arrested overseas.
Scammers have falsely advertised jobs in another country to lure their victims overseas before trapping them in forced labour. This is a form of modern slavery. If a new job opportunity sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
signs that someone is being scammed
There are common signs that your family member or friend is being scammed.
- Mentions of frequent online contact with a new person. Particularly if they have not met the person in real life before.
- Mentions of sending someone overseas money or personal information.
- Mentions of new job or investment opportunities that need urgent action.
- Sudden changes in lifestyle or behaviour, such as becoming withdrawn or anxious.
- Being secretive about messages or emails and who they're from.
- Unexpected travel plans to meet someone they've only known online.
What to do if you think someone is being scammed
It can be hard to tell someone you think they're being scammed. Scammers will often try to isolate their target to make it harder for anyone to intervene. They may also threaten their victim to scare them into staying quiet and complying.
Scamwatch has useful resources if you suspect your family member or friend is being scammed.
- Stop. Check. Protect.
- Red flags checklist for family and friends
- Conversation starters for family and friends
- Understanding how scammers manipulate your loved one
- Online relationship health check
Read more
- See our advice about scams that affect travellers.