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The Guardian - AU

National

Catie McLeod

A Melbourne woman lost $646,035 to a romance scam. Should banks and dating apps be forced to refund victims like her?

ING Melbourne AFCA Hinge Daniel Mulino Kate Gould Australia FIFO WhatsApp

Messages that Jane and Joe exchanged after meeting on the dating app Hinge. — Messages that Jane and Joe exchanged after meeting on the dating app Hinge. Joe claimed to be a Fifo worker who needed money for an emergency. His photos, passport and bank account screenshots turned out to be fake and part of an elaborate romance scam. Composite: Guardian Design

They met the way many modern couples do.

On his Hinge profile, the man had a “nice smile”, says Jane*, a Melbourne woman in her 30s. When they matched in May 2025, she thought he seemed like “just generally a nice person”.

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