THE YEAR OF THE SCAMDEMIC

When the world shut down in 2020, cybercrime ramped up, conning Australians out of millions. The Weekly investigates the worst offenders and finds there are ways to spot a scam artist.

WORDS by GENEVIEVE GANNON

While apparently stationed in South Korea, US soldier “Ryan” spent 16 months flattering and seducing Belinda Ann Frantzen before he began asking her for favours. By then, the Gold Coast mother-of-three believed herself to be in a committed relationship with the uniformed man she had met on a dating website in December 2015. Ryan wanted to include her in his future as he prepared to retire, he said. He had served his country for 20 years and was owed more than $2 million in superannuation. So far this story reads like an obvious scam. Cybercriminals are known to favour military personnel when creating fake personas because it lends them credibility and provides a handy excuse for why they can’t meet their victim. But Ryan didn’t ask Belinda to send him…

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The Australian Women's Weekly (Digital) - 1 Issue, August 2021

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