THE YEAR OF THE SCAMDEMIC

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 money, nor did he direct her to a shady cryptocurrency investment opportunity. In fact, he gave her $2 million, paying it into an account he asked her to open, so they could begin working towards their shared dream of opening a restaurant in Turkey.

Under his instruction, Belinda then transferred the money to several different foreign accounts to pay for equipment and decor for their restaurant. She wasn’t spending a cent of her own money, so what was the harm? Well, the