Tina lost her house to a dating scam
Some time after a painful divorce, I decided it was time to get out there again. A friend of mine was using an internet dating website and was having fun so I joined up as a member.
Soon after creating my profile page on a dating website, I received a few emails. One of the responses caught my eye; his name was Collin Anderson*.
I emailed Collin and we started chatting online. We got along really well and he was easy to chat to. He had been through a similar life experience, so we really connected. He was an interesting man and very funny, and I could tell by the way he talked about his daughter that he was very caring. Unfortunately, he was living overseas at the time we met but was returning to Australia in a few months.
Collin quickly became part of my life. We talked or emailed everyday. We'd spend hours talking about everything. We seemed to share a lot of common interests and experiences. I even told him that I missed my daughter, who was studying overseas.
The next day, Collin organised for his daughter to call me for a chat. I was really touched by this and felt that we had become very important in each other's lives. I was really looking forward to meeting Collin when he came home. We made plans for holidays and fun things to do when he was back.
Then, I stopped receiving emails and telephone calls from Collin. I was very worried that something had happened to him.
After a few days, I received a call from a doctor from overseas. He informed me that Collin had been involved in a terrible accident and needed urgent medical attention. The doctor asked me to pay for Collin's hospital fee of $2,500. I didn't hesitate to pay this amount through wire transfer.
I received more phone calls from the Collin's doctor. He told me that Collin's health was deteriorating and that he would need to have further surgery and be rehabilitated. The doctor asked me whether I would be able to cover some of Collin's surgery costs and treatment.
I paid for some of the fees from my savings, but once they ran out I had to take out a second mortgage my house. Collin's health was improving and we started communicating again. I was so happy that his treatment was working. Over about six months I sent $95,000 to Collin. I remember my friends were really worried about me sending that much money, but I trusted Collin.
All of a sudden I stopped hearing from Collin. Again, I was really worried that something had happened to him and tried to get in touch with him. But the number I had been using to contact him had been disconnected. I never heard from Collin again.
I still find it hard to believe I got scammed. I really wanted it to work out and just believed everything was going to be fine, but I ended up losing my house.
* Names have been changed
How to protect yourself:
- If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
- Be wary of any requests for money.
- Never send money or your personal details to anyone you don't trust.
- Always get a second opinion if you are unsure whether it is a scam. Ask your family, friends or a professional.
- Go to the SCAMwatch website to find out more about: