Scammers are exploiting romance to defraud elderly and retired women out of significant sums of money. Reshmi Dass, Acting Director of Economic Crime, highlighted this issue during the National Scam Awareness Week event at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva. She disclosed that nearly 10 cases are currently pending in court, including one instance where a woman lost approximately $500,000 due to a fraudulent romance scheme.
Dass explained that the con artists lured women aged between 60 and 70 with sweet talk, encouraging them to send nude photographs. The scammers then threatened to release these images on social media if the victims did not comply with their demands for money. “We have been receiving complaints from retired ladies who shared their nude pictures with the individuals they were communicating with,” Ms. Dass stated. “To extract money from these victims, they threatened to damage their reputation by exposing them online.”
Similar cases are under judicial review, with one scammer identified as a young man operating under the guise of being overseas, using a WhatsApp number to target retired women in their 60s and 70s. Dass recounted the story of a specific victim who unwittingly sent $500,000 to the perpetrator before realizing he was local and had victimized multiple women.
Ms. Dass advised women to exercise caution and refrain from sharing personal information or images with strangers online. “Be careful about sharing your personal information on social media. If you receive messages from unfamiliar individuals, do not disclose your personal details or send any photos that could lead to such fraud,” she urged. Currently, there are about eight or nine cases against this individual awaiting legal proceedings.