How an unsuspecting Aussie man lost $13,000 in seconds after he was befriended by ‘Zoe’ on Tinder
Australians are once again being urged to be vigilant against devious online scams after a man lost $13,000 in seconds to a fake Tinder user who claimed she was investing in crypto.
The man, known only as Andrew, recently faced a scammer known as ‘Zoe’ who stole his life savings.
Andrew and Zoe had been in contact for weeks through the popular online dating app, until the scammer slowly gained his trust.
She told Andrew that she was investing in cryptocurrencies and making a lot of money from it. She encouraged him to start trading the digital currency through an online platform.
The unsuspecting Australian decided to try his luck after Zoe helped him set up an account, before making an initial small investment.
He got money back before deciding to take out a $13,000 loan from the bank and make a larger investment.
Shortly after, Andrew suddenly realized that his savings were gone, as he was unable to withdraw the money.
The scammer immediately broke off contact with him.
The scammer told Andrew that she was investing in cryptocurrencies and making a lot of money, and encouraged him to start trading the digital currency through an online platform (stock image)
The hack was shared by South Australia Police as part of their annual Scam Awareness Week, which started Monday and ends Friday.
South Australia Police Cybercrime Officer Casey Morrison urged people to be alert to these types of scams, which aim to abuse people’s trust.
“Investment fraud involves promises of large payouts, quick money or guaranteed returns,” said Agent Morrison.
Besides the traditional way of transferring money via bank transfer, cryptocurrency is becoming increasingly popular due to the perceived anonymity it offers.
‘Crypto fraud often focuses on obtaining personal information, such as security codes, or tricking an unsuspecting person into sending cryptocurrency to a hacked digital wallet.’
In 2023, investment fraud robbed Australians of around $1.3 billion. South Australians alone lost more than $10.2 million in the same year.
Andrew and Zoe had been speaking on Tinder for weeks, with the scammer slowly gaining his trust before they discussed the crypto investment opportunity (stock image)
“While this figure is alarming, it is likely that the true losses are significantly higher as many people do not report their crimes,” said Officer Morrison.
Victims aged 65 and older lost the most money to investment fraud, with the median loss being $30,000.
Australians are urged not to enter into investment opportunities that promise high returns with little risk.
Scammers try to entice victims to transfer their money to fake investment funds through advertisements on social media and fraudulent websites.
Investment fraud often also contains multiple grammatical errors or typos.
Personal data, such as mobile phone numbers, identification documents and bank details, must always be protected.
The data from these accounts may not be shared with others or third parties.
Investment fraud claimed approximately $1.3 billion from Australians in 2023, with South Australians losing more than $10.2 million in the same year alone (stock image)