Australian Woman Scammed of ₹4.3 Crore While Looking for Love Online
A 57-year-old woman from Perth, Australia, has been left homeless after losing her life savings of over ₹4.3 crore ($780,000) to online scammers while searching for love. Annette Ford, who is now struggling to find affordable housing in a retirement village, fell victim to two separate scams over six years—both orchestrated by fraudsters posing as potential romantic partners.
A 57-year-old woman from Perth, Australia, has been left homeless after losing her life savings of over ₹4.3 crore ($780,000) to online scammers while searching for love. Annette Ford, who is now struggling to find affordable housing in a retirement village, fell victim to two separate scams over six years—both orchestrated by fraudsters posing as potential romantic partners.
Heartbreak Turns into Deception
Ford turned to online dating in 2018 after the end of her 33-year marriage, hoping to find companionship. She joined the dating site Plenty of Fish, where she connected with a man named ‘William.’
Over time, William gained her trust before asking for financial help. His first request was for ₹2.75 lakh ($5,000), claiming he had been mugged in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and needed money.
“He said he had been mugged outside the site he was working on and they took his wallet and his cards,” Ford recalled.
His demands escalated quickly, with requests for medical bills, hotel stays, and even wages for workers he allegedly couldn’t pay due to his missing bank cards.
By the time Ford realized she had been scammed, she had already lost ₹1.6 crore ($300,000), depleting her self-managed superannuation fund. She reported the fraud to the Australian Federal Police but never received any updates on her case.
A Second Scam via Facebook
Four years later, Ford fell victim to another scam, this time on Facebook. She began speaking with a man named ‘Nelson,’ who claimed to be from Amsterdam. Nelson told her he had a friend in the FBI who needed $2,500 to help with an ongoing investigation.
Initially skeptical, Ford refused. However, Nelson managed to convince her to deposit money into a Bitcoin ATM. Soon after, she noticed unexplained transactions in her account. Before she could act, she had lost another ₹1.5 crore ($280,000).
Now left with nothing, Ford is urging others to be cautious of online scammers.
“They say all the right things, they sweep you off your feet, but they’re going to take your money and leave you broke,” she warned.
Growing Threat of Online Scams
Ford’s experience highlights the rising threat of online romance scams, which have left many victims financially and emotionally devastated. Cybersecurity experts urge people to verify identities, avoid sending money to online acquaintances, and report suspicious activities to authorities.
Sources By Agencies
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