The Tinder Swindler: 6 tricks Simon used (and how to spot them)

The 'Tinder Swindler' Simon Leviev used these sam tricks to scma his victims. Here's how to avoid them. (Source: Getty)

The shocking story of how one man, dubbed the Tinder Swindler, was able to scam numerous women out of an estimated $10 million to fund his lavish lifestyle has taken Netflix views by storm.

But the sad reality is that this situation is not an outlier and Aussies lost $56.2 million to dating and romance scams last year, according to Scamwatch.

And while not everyone you meet on a dating app will fly you on a private jet funded by another unwitting victim for your first date, there are plenty of other red flags to watch out for.

• Also read: $27 million gone: Aussies targeted by scams in lockdown

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• Also read: Major scam warning as Aussies lose $323 million

Richard Bromley, fraud risk Manager at fintech app Revolut, told Yahoo Finance that while in hindsight the scam may seem obvious, the tricksters know how to make the situation seem legitimate.

“They meet on online dating platforms and convince victims that they are in a genuine relationship so that requests for money do not raise any suspicion,” he said.

“Requests for money often are highly emotive, such as criminals claiming they need money for emergency surgery, medical care, or to pay for tickets and travel documents to visit the victim if they are overseas, even a debt that must be paid urgently.

(Source: Reviews.org)

Here are a few red flags to watch out for to avoid becoming a victim of a romance scam from Bromley:

1. Fall fast and hard. Romance scammers quickly express strong feelings for their victim; even love.

2. Love is blind. They can never seem to meet in person for a real date, and blame their job, life, being abroad etc.

3. They’re mysterious. They have an odd dating or social profile that doesn’t disclose much about themselves or their life.

4. Sweet as honey. They’ll give their victim a pet name, which helps them avoid using the wrong name, as they chat to lots of people at the same time.

5. Bad romance. They seem to have a lot of problems going on in their life that can only be solved with money.

6. Let’s take this somewhere else. They want to chat outside the dating site or app, and prefer to use text, WhatsApp or email.

Bromley added that the scammers often pretend to work overseas: in the military, as a doctor or in the oil rig.

“Victims of romance scams typically have very strong emotions and commitment to someone they have only just met, and those relationships are usually very secretive,” he said.

“In fact, a victim might even become angry when asked any questions about their partner.”

(Source: Reviews.org)

What do you do if you’ve been scammed?

Here are a few things to remember if you think someone is trying to scam you:

• Don’t become a mule. Be cautious if someone asks you to hold or move money for them - if you agree, you could be implicated in money muling which can result in a criminal charge.

• Don’t be embarrassed. If you have suspicions about your new crush, ask a friend or family member for their opinion. Unfortunately, if it feels too good to be true, it sometimes can be.

• Don’t let anyone take advantage of you. In matters of the heart, money shouldn’t come into it. If the relationship quickly develops toward financial support and dependence, protect your heart and finances and save it for someone better.

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