The CJRC is hosting an upcoming symposium exploring the realities of romance fraud. The event will feature a number of guest speakers, including romance scam victim Sharon Armstrong who will share her story and experience.
Background: On 13 April 2011, Sharon was arrested in Buenos Aires, Argentina on charges of drug trafficking. She was en route to London to meet a man she had met through an online dating service. The trip was arranged at very short notice, but she couldn’t pass up the chance to finally meet him face to face after months of ongoing daily contact. Sharon believed there was something in this, and she needed to find out what the potential was for this relationship to flourish. At the last minute the arrangements were changed, and she was asked to travel via Buenos Aires to collect some documents for him. If Sharon collected these documents, it would mean more time together in London. However, Sharon never made it to London and family and friends became worried when they didn’t hear from her as expected.
Additional confirmed speakers include:
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.
Event details:
- 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
For more information and to register for this event, click here.
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