An elderly lady spoke openly about her horrific ordeal with a romance scammer and the horrifying moment when she realized she had been cheated.
Perth widow Maggie Ayres admitted she lost tens of thousands of dollars last year to a criminal who carried out love scams under the false name “Brian”.
As part of Scam Awareness Week, she bravely came forward this week and warned Australians not to trust people they meet online.
Mrs Ayres had just moved to Australia from South Africa to be closer to her children following the death of her husband of 46 years. Desperate for companionship, she tried online dating.
She received her first email from Brian in July 2023 and was surprised by his instant “love” for her – which she now recognizes as a “warning sign.”
“He showered me with love and compliments and very soon called me ‘darling’ and ‘sweetheart,'” she said.
“I noticed that his kindness and patience became more and more appealing to me and I felt safe, valued and loved.”
After Ms. Ayres told him she was in a relationship, Brian initially withdrew, but reconnected five months later.
Perth woman Maggie Ayres (pictured) admitted she lost tens of thousands of dollars to a love bombing criminal called “Brian”.
He claimed to be a geological engineer from Sydney who worked on an oil rig in the North Sea near Scotland.
To support his story, he showed Ms Ayres his contract, passport and national identity card – all of which were created using AI and deepfake technology.
She had regular video chats with Brian, and although the conversations were often distorted and pre-planned, it gave her the reassurance that she was not being cheated on.
Brian initially said he would return to Australia soon, but due to an apparent power failure on the rig, he had to pay for replacement machinery.
He promised to repay Mrs Ayres with interest, which set off alarm bells for her children.
Nevertheless, Mrs. Ayres lent Brian the money and sent additional funds when he had to pay the high shipping costs for the parts to be shipped from America.
“Every time it was different. He started blaming me because it took me too long to transfer the money,” she recalls.
Brian’s web of lies finally unraveled during a video call with Ms. Ayres.
The scammer had used deepfake technology to look like the fake photos he had emailed her.
However, during the chat, a filter error occurred that revealed his true identity.
The fraudster was sitting “in a closet, covered with a blanket so that I could see his face and mouth.”
Brian (pictured) claimed to be a geological engineer from Sydney who worked on an oil rig in the North Sea near Scotland.
The scammer hung up immediately and Mrs Ayres was left with the terrible realisation that she had been cheated.
“The impact of this experience on me was emotionally and psychologically devastating,” she said.
“I have experienced the darkest days of my life. How could I have been so blind?
After being defrauded of thousands, Mrs Ayres is now completely dependent on her children.
“Scammers get away with broken hearts, shattered dreams, empty promises and bank accounts without being detected,” she said.
“Not only have I lost my companion, but I have lost my independence, my self-confidence and my worth,” Ms Ayres said.
In Western Australia alone, $2.9 million has already been lost in 26 romance scams this year. In 2023, the total amount will be $3.7 million.
Western Australia’s Minister for Trade Sue Ellery described romance scammers as the “worst of the worst” who represent the worst side of humanity.
In Western Australia alone, people have already lost $2.9 million this year through dozens of love scams (symbolic image)
“Their victims lose thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars, are emotionally shattered and suffer additional financial losses,” she said.
“We advise you to be extremely vigilant and cautious.”
Australians who believe they have been scammed are urged to report it to Scamwatch.
The government agency works to prevent fraud, provide warnings and offer support.