“Tainted love”: A symposium exploring the reality of romance fraud
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) reported that $8 million was lost to romance fraud by Australians in 2014, making it the highest category of financial loss across all fraud types. Given the known low levels of reporting for this crime type, this figure is unlikely to represent the true extent of harm incurred by romance fraud.
Despite the magnitude of these losses, romance fraud remains somewhat of a hidden problem in society. Many victims are unable to disclose their situation to those around them, for a variety of reasons including the associated shame and stigma of this crime type.
Join with us for this important symposium, hosted by the Crime and Justice Research Centre, QUT, which seeks to explore issues surrounding the prevention and support of romance fraud victims.
- Date: Tuesday 31 May 2016
- Time: 9am-1pm (morning tea provided)
- Venue: Owen J Wordsworth Room, Level 12, S block, Gardens Point Campus, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George St, Brisbane, QLD, 4000
To register for this event, click here.
Confirmed speakers for the event:
Sharon Armstrong – New Zealand campaigner and advocate for romance scam victims, she was herself caught up in a fraudulent relationship which led to her imprisonment in an Argentinian jail for drug smuggling. Sharon will share her personal story.
Delia Rickard – Deputy Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Delia will share details of work being undertaken by the ACCC in seeking to prevent and educate consumers on romance fraud.
David Hillyard – Acting Executive Director, Consumer Protection, Department of Commerce, Western Australia. David will share the success of “Project Sunbird” which is a collaborative initiative with the West Australian Police, targeting online fraud, including romance.
Detective Sergeant David Dunn – Team leader, Fraud Prevention Unit, Fraud and Cyber Crime Group, Queensland Police Service. David will share the experience of the QPS in establishing the first face-to-face support group dedicated to fraud victims, many who have experienced romance fraud.
Dr Cassandra Cross – Senior Lecturer, School of Justice, Queensland University of Technology. Cassandra will share some insights taken from romance fraud victims, based on a recent research project which examined the reporting experiences and support needs of online fraud victims in Australia.
Comments are closed.