WA woman loses $300K to Nigerian fraudster in online romance scam
Updated
PHOTO: Fraudsters have used this photo from an American man's Facebook page in an online romance scam. (Supplied: Consumer Protection)MAP: WA
A Western Australian woman has lost $300,000 to a Nigerian fraudster she believed was an interior designer called Allan McCarty, who was looking for love on social media.
The woman's case sparked an investigation leading to the discovery of a woman in New South Wales who sent $50,000, and another person in Tasmania who was also defrauded.
WA Consumer Protection acting commissioner Gary Newcombe said all victims thought they were romantically involved with Allan McCarty online.
"Facebook profiles and pages along with a business website have been used to create a belief that [there was] a man called Allan McCarty, an interior designer originally from Scotland but now residing in Australia," he said.
Consumer Protection acting director of retail and services Lanie Chopping said there may be more victims nationally.
"This is typical romance scam ... the photos look very convincing," she said.
"Scammers are organised criminals that are working day in, day out to manufacture identities that are going to be capable of getting money from Australians.
"They are sophisticated, savvy and know how to pull the right strings."
Mr Newcombe said the real man pictured in the photographs had been identified as an American suffering from cancer, but several attempts to contact him had been fruitless.
"We know that the man in the photographs lives in California," he said.
"He has low security and privacy settings on his Facebook profile, making it easy for scammers to steal his pictures.
"In real life this man appears to have been battling cancer and we suspect the fraudsters have picked him for that reason, they can potentially use [that] as an excuse not to meet the victims in person and to seek financial assistance."
The WA woman became convinced she was in a romantic relationship with the man after he randomly requested her friendship on Facebook.
She provided money for his business, sending it to the United States or Dubai, where the man was supposedly working, but the funds were funnelled through mule accounts to West Africa.
The fake business websites involved in the fraud, which both used the name Allan McCarty in the URL, were registered using a computer and email address in Nigeria.
It is believed the Nigerian internet user or users previously posed as another fake identity called Brian Scott using the same photos.
Despite the fraud being elaborate, Ms Chopping said it was a typical scam.
Since 2011, Western Australians have sent more than $37 million to overseas criminals pretending to offer romance or investment opportunities, according to the department.
Project Sunbird, which targets online romance scams, has sent more than 3,500 letters to people whose financial transactions indicate they are supplying money to fraudsters in West African countries.
