10 February 2025
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, the ABA is warning Aussies to guard their hearts—and their bank accounts—as scammers ramp-up the use of artificial intelligence and deepfakes to steal money.
According to ScamWatch, last year Australians reported over 3,200 romance scams with losses amounting to almost $24 million.
Romance scam red flags:
- very professional and flawless looking photos, or limited information and inconsistent details on profiles
- vague and repetitive answers could indicate you’re chatting to a chatbot
- quick attempts to move your chat from a dating platform to a messaging platform such as WhatsApp
- requests to transfer money, often urgently and accompanied with emotional stories
- attempts to convince you to invest in schemes, often with cryptocurrency.
ABA CEO Anna Bligh said the use of AI and deepfake technology was making it more difficult for Australians to cotton on to online dating and romance scams.
“The online dating world has changed the game in the chase for love. However, it’s also become a scammer’s paradise,” Ms Bligh said.
“AI is very much a double-edged sword. It can be used perfectly legitimately to enhance a dating profile, on the other hand, it can also be used to deceive and manipulate those looking for love.
“Scammers don’t just send dodgy DMs to lure victims anymore —they deploy AI and deepfake technology to create fake profiles and identities.
“These scams are becoming more sophisticated, with artificially generated fake profiles and chatbots making fake love look like the real deal.
“Dating scams are the lowest of the low. Scammers prey on Australians looking for love and turn romance into heartbreak.
“People don’t just lose money – they suffer deep emotional trauma, thinking they’ve found love only to realise they are being swindled.
“If something feels too good to be true and you’re starting to sense red flags, don’t ignore it – either do some digging or walk away before you lose more than just your heart.
“Never share financial information or send money to someone you haven’t met in person and report suspicious activity if you have been targeted.”
For more information on Romance Scams visit: https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/types-of-scams/online-dating-and-romance-scams.
| Contact: Benn Ayre | [email protected] | 0428 342 325 Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | www.ausbanking.org.au |
Latest news
Michael McLaren (Host): Well, here we are at the Easter Show, the great celebration of country life in the city, but it’s also an important platform this to better understand the challenges that the regions face. Now, yesterday, we looked at the floods. Today, I want to look at the banks. Now in the regions,… Read more »
The ABA is reminding customers across North and Far North Queensland that they don’t have to tough it out on their own, as they continue to recover from February’s severe flooding event. ABA CEO Anna Bligh recently met with Queensland’s State Recovery Coordinator Andrew Cripps to discuss how banks can assist customers facing financial difficulty… Read more »
Banks stand ready to support customers in western Queensland and parts of New South Wales affected by heavy rainfall and flooding. ABA CEO Anna Bligh said customers don’t have to tough it out on their own and banks have a range of practical measures to assist those facing financial stress. “This is a challenging time… Read more »