Scammers use law enforcement logos in online dating scam

A scam designed to rip off Australians has falsely used the Australian Crime Commission (ACC), Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) logos in an attempt to lure consumers into paying large sums of money for fake criminal background checks.

The fraudulent criminal background checks are being initiated by criminals using dating websites. The fraudsters are creating fake profiles and contacting victims suggesting they meet.

When the victim agrees the fraudsters will ask the victim to provide a certificate that shows they have undergone a criminal background check. The fraudsters then send the victim a link to an official looking website. The victim will be asked to pay approximately $AUD200 to obtain the certificate, which claims to be issued by the ACC, ASIO and AFP.

However, once the victim has wired the money, the fraudster will delete their profile and cease all contact.

The ACC is concerned about the potential for members of the public to be fooled by this fake certificate that carries these Australian Government logos.

The ACC does not provide criminal background checks to members of the public.

CrimTrac is the Commonwealth Government agency that processes criminal background checks for a range of organisations across the country. Information on where and how to obtain a criminal background check is available at www.crimtrac.gov.au.

Anyone who receives a similar request or believes they are a victim of this type of fraud should report it to SCAMwatch on 1300 795 995 or go to www.scamwatch.gov.au.

The SCAMwatch website also includes helpful hints for spotting scams and keeping personal details safe.