A Melbourne woman in her 30s, identified as Jane, lost $646,035 to a romance scam after meeting a man on the dating app Hinge in May 2025. The scammer, using the alias Joe, presented himself as a fly-in-fly-out (Fifo) worker with a fake British passport and bank account screenshots. Jane, who has autism and a learning disability, transferred the money in 41 transactions to cryptocurrency platforms at Joe's direction. Her bank, ING, refused to refund her, and the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) upheld that decision in March 2025, stating the bank was not on notice of the scam.
Details of the Scam
Jane and Joe matched on Hinge, and he quickly moved the conversation to WhatsApp. He professed love, spoke of marriage and children, and claimed he needed money for an emergency, promising to repay with 50% interest. Jane said, 'I thought that I could really trust him. He said, “I’m not the kind of bad person that would do this.”' Joe sent a fake passport and bank screenshot when Jane grew suspicious. His last message on 13 August 2025 claimed he was going to prison if a contract was terminated, and he never contacted her again.
Australia's Anti-Scam Laws
The Albanese government passed what it called the 'world’s toughest anti-scam laws,' but they will not be operational until 31 March 2027. The laws will initially apply to banks, telcos, and key digital platforms (social media, paid search advertising, and direct messaging services), but not explicitly to dating apps. A spokesperson for Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino said the government would 'not hesitate to bring additional sectors into scope where needed.' Consumer advocates, like Meg Dalling from the Consumer Action Law Centre (Calc), argue there are 'still some really significant gaps in the coverage of the laws.' Under the proposed framework, automatic reimbursements are capped at $3,000, with larger amounts subject to an undetailed dispute resolution mechanism. Costs would be split between relevant entities.
Impact and Advocacy
In the past 18 months, Australians reported 4,767 romance scams, losing over $37 million. Dr. Kate Gould, a neuropsychologist at Monash University, noted that humans have a 'basic need' for love and connection, making them vulnerable. She said society should expect dating platforms to 'ensure that anyone they offer … is a real person and not a criminal.' Hinge's parent company, Match Group, introduced 'Face Check' verification in Australia in March 2025. Jane's lawyer, Nufar Gofman from Calc, argues that AFCA failed to consider ING's legal obligations to provide due care and skill. AFCA responded that it assesses complaints against current laws, which were 'not designed with the sophistication of modern scams in mind.'
