Looking for love online might sound like the start of a rom-com, but for Annette Ford, it turned into a financial horror show. After losing a jaw-dropping ₹4.2 crore to scammers posing as potential partners, Annette’s search for romance turned into a cautionary tale for anyone swiping right!
Annette, 57, joined the dating site Plenty of Fish after her marriage ended in 2018. Having relied on her ex-husband to handle finances for 33 years, she found herself financially vulnerable.
“I was gullible and foolish, and I thought I was in love,” she admitted.
The first scammer, ‘William,’ spent months building trust before claiming he was mugged in Kuala Lumpur, losing his wallet and credit cards. He asked Annette for $5,000 (₹2.7 lakh) to cover a hospital bill and various other expenses, including hotel bills and payments for workers at his construction site. She transferred the money, but the requests kept coming, and over time, and she ended up sending $300,000 (₹1.6 crore), even draining her self-managed retirement fund.
However, despite reporting the scam to the Australian Federal Police, Annette never received any follow-up or assistance.
Scammed again
Four years later, in 2022, she was targeted again by ‘Nelson,’ who claimed to be from Amsterdam and involved with the FBI. Though she initially refused to send money, she later deposited funds into a Bitcoin ATM, unknowingly losing another
Initially, Annette resisted but was soon persuaded by Nelson to deposit money into a Bitcoin ATM on his behalf. She was unaware of the money moving in and out of her account, and each time, she was asked to deposit more, with some withdrawals reaching $1,000 per transaction. After multiple visits to Amsterdam without meeting Nelson, Annette realised that she had lost nearly $280,000 (₹2.5 crore) to this scam.
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Annette is now couch-surfing while seeking affordable housing. She warns Australians:
“They say all the right things, they sweep you off your feet… but they’re going to take your money and leave you broke. Don’t feel like an idiot—just remember how hard you worked for that money before sending it to someone you’ve never met.”
In 2023, over 3,200 romance scams were reported in Australia, with losses nearing ₹130 crore. Consumer protection authorities warn that AI-powered deepfake technology is making scams even more convincing.
“Unless you can meet in person, proceed with extreme caution. You can’t always trust what you see in video calls or hear over the phone,” warned Commissioner Trish Blake.
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