A Perth woman who lost a total $780,000 after she was targeted by scammers has urged Australians to think twice before sending money to strangers. 

Annette Ford, 57, admitted she was ‘desperate for love’ after her marriage of 33 years ended in 2018 and she decided to join the online dating site Plenty of Fish. 

She met ‘William’, who after a few months asked for $5,000 claiming thieves had stolen his wallet during a bust-up outside his workplace in Kuala Lumpur. 

He then asked for more money to cover his hospital bills, a hotel stay and to pay his workers after he claimed to have lost access to his bank cards. 

Ms Ford said she accused William of being a scammer, and that they had ‘huge arguments over the phone’ – but he always had an explanation. 

She said the fraudster stole more than $300,000 and ‘drained’ her self-managed superfund, the West Australian reports. 

Ms Ford reported the scam to the Australian Federal Police but heard ‘nothing’. 

A few years later in 2022, Ms Ford started chatting to ‘Nelson’ – a second romance scammer on Facebook – who allegedly lived in Amsterdam. 

Annette Ford, 57, admitted she was ‘desperate for love’ after her marriage of 33 years ended in 2018 and she decided to join the online dating site Plenty of Fish

Among his first requests for cash was $2,500 to help his friend, who he claimed worked for the FBI, for an investigation. 

Ms Ford was asked on ‘many occasions’ to deposit money sent by Nelson into a Bitcoin ATM which cost her $1,000 each time. 

‘There was money coming into my account and going out of my account that I wasn’t even aware of,’ Ms Ford said.

It took Ms Ford two failed attempts to meet her lover in Amsterdam to discover that ‘Nelson’ did not exist. 

By then, she had lost $280,000 to his romance scam – which was the entire capital gain she earned from selling her home. 

Ms Ford – who was self-employed at her own dog grooming business – said she is unable to work after injuring her shoulder trying to earn some extra money. 

The 57-year-old is now relying on Centrelink benefits and is in the process of applying for a disability support pension. 

She is homeless and couch-surfing while she tries to find a home in a retirement village. 

‘I’m not physically or mentally capable of going back to work at the moment… I’m extremely embarrassed,’ Ms Ford said. 

Nationally, Australians reported more than 3,200 romance scams last year, with losses nearing $24million

Nationally, Australians reported more than 3,200 romance scams last year, with losses nearing $24million

 She shared an urgent message to Aussies: ‘They say all the right things, they sweep you off your feet… but they’re going to take your money and they’re going to leave you broke.

‘Don’t feel like an idiot, don’t feel silly, this is your money… remember how hard you damn well worked for it before you start sending it to somebody you’ve never met.’

Nationally, Australians reported more than 3,200 romance scams last year, with losses nearing $24million.

Consumer Protection Commissioner Trish Blake said people must remain vigilant in guarding against romance scams.  

‘An average loss of over $87,000 and in one case nearly $800,000 – that’s the devastating reality of romance scams in 2024,’ Ms Blake said. 

‘These staggering figures represent a lifetime of savings for many and can be financially crippling. 

‘We must remain vigilant as scammers are constantly adapting their tactics and using a wider range of channels to target their victims, including dating sites, gaming apps and social media.’

How to protect yourself from romance scams 

Those looking for love online can help protect themselves from romance scammers by thoroughly researching their prospective partners. 

Other tips include being wary of requests to transition conversations to encrypted message platforms, such as WhatsApp, Telegram and Google Chat, and being suspicious of investment or employment opportunities that seem ‘too-good-to-be true’. 

*Reviewing their LinkedIn or Facebook profiles, including checking friends and followers.

*Reverse searching their profile pictures, or photos they have shared. You can do this on Google’s search page by clicking on the ‘search by image’ icon in the search bar.

*Being mindful of their own profile across social media channels, particularly of not sharing personal information, as scammers may use these details to target you.

*Never sharing personal identification documents, such as a driver’s licence, passport, banking or credit card details with someone online.

*Never sharing explicit or intimate images with someone who might be a scammer, as scammers may find a way of recording and using them to their advantage later.

*Insisting on meeting in person before taking the relationship further.

For more information about romance scams, visit Scamwatch.

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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk