Protect yourself:Personal introductions keep it real

Report highlights huge personal loss through online dating scammers.

We constantly hear stories of online scammers and the huge amounts of money they steal  from unwary victims. Vulnerable people looking for romance and companionship are often the hardest hit, mostly telling horror stories of online encounters.

An article in the Sydney Morning Herald of February 9 this year quoted the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission saying Australians reported almost 4,000 dating and romance scams in 2019, with victims losing on average $19,000. In fact, some individuals lost a million dollars.

ACCC Report

The deputy chairwoman of ACCC, Delia Rickard, said the highest losses were online dating platforms and apps such as Tinder and Match.com as well as social media platforms, especially Facebook and Instagram.

Ms. Rickard said the big trend of 2019 was scammers’ increased use of other platforms. For example, while fraudsters have targeted players of  “Words with Friends” for several years, by last year scams through that game accounted for nearly $600,000 in losses from Australia alone.

“These are places where you’re not going looking for love and certainly not expecting to have a romance start up, so your guard’s not up.

“They (scammers) usually had a reason as to why they were overseas and could not meet in person, though in a few rare cases they did meet their victims in person to build their trust,” she said.

People aged 45 to 65 were the most likely to be scammed, with a total of 1,470 reports and more than $18 million in losses. Women accounted for 55 percent of victims, but three quarters of all the financial losses.

Biggest dating and romance scams by financial loss, 2019*.

While online dating is a way of life for many people, as the statistics show, the practice is fraught with danger and there is real potential for financial fraud. On top of this, there’s also personal danger involved by not being knowledgeable of the intentions of the person you are meeting.

Stay safe with personal introductions

A much safer option is through a personal introduction agency for married and single people who are looking for a genuine connection, rather than an online fantasy.

Agencies such as Married Affairs Sydney will arrange introductions on either a casual basis,  long-term relationship or for a permanent connection. Here you can find members, both women and men of ages, backgrounds and nationalities.

Joining our membership means you don’t have to rely on your own social group of friends or work colleagues to make a connection for you. This also means you avoid the embarrassment of having to explain to them what happened if your meeting arranged by them didn’t work out.

A genuine adult matchmaker

When you join Married Affairs Sydney you have the assurance that we are a genuine organisation who treats your privacy very seriously and puts discretion first. By meeting a like-minded member you can start a wonderful relationship without upsetting any of your home or family situations.

It’s a simple process; first there is a no obligation meeting with our friendly consultants who will explain how the introductions work. As all our members will tell you, nothing in life is more important than your happiness, and when you join there is a fee which depends on  the length of membership, your matching criteria and other factors.

Once you have decided to go ahead you will start meeting members immediately who are real and have been checked through our system for genuine intentions, compatibility and suitability as a partner for you.

All that is standing between you and your happiness is a call to our manager Susan on         02 9251 4948 or 0423 242 773 to make an appointment for a personal interview at our Sydney CBD office.

* Source: “Beware of online Valentines.” By Caitlin Fitzsimmons, Sydney Morning Herald 9/2/2020 (Selected extracts from the report.).