Have you ever been a victim of a scam or con artist?
 
Would you even admit it if you had?

Yes, I know at one time or another, we have made fun of someone who has fallen for scams, thinking we are beyond that. However, you would be surprised at how meticulously predators select their victims and the lengths they will go to take advantage of these people. They prey on the lonely and vulnerable of society. The felony is premeditated to defraud the victim, and they are experts in their field.

A petition has been started, please sign and support the criminalisation of scams in Australia to protect everyday Australians.

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This IMPORTANT petition is to protect normal every day Australians from scams and predators.

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I want to raise awareness within Australia that the criminal justice system and regulatory bodies do not have the laws and legislation to ensure predators and their associates of scams face criminal consequences of their actions. This needs to change, the law needs to change.

I believe scams should be made a criminal offence, not just for the financial loss, but for the severe mental, emotional and sometimes physical abuse the victim has had to endure.

Due to the stigma surrounding scams, many people are ashamed and do not admit to being a victim because of the humiliation and the emotional, mental, financial and sometimes physical abuse they have been through. They want it to go away and pretend it never happened to them because they have not been believed. 
 
I know first-hand what it is like to be the victim of a scam and con artist. I lost everything, my home, my life savings, my superannuation, my career; you name it, I lost it. I was left financially destitute, all but homeless, and I tried to commit suicide several times. At every opportunity, I was taken advantage of and violated emotionally, mentally, financially and physically. 
 
The ACCC has advised:
 
'From the information provided, it sounds like you may have experienced a romance-baiting scam. In these scams, the scammer builds trust through a relationship before convincing their victim to invest money into a fake website. You are not alone – many others fall victim to these scams yearly. In 2021, Scamwatch received almost 500 reports about romance-baiting scams, with over $25 million given to scammers. We have more information about investment scams available on our website.'
 
Yet, they can do nothing, and the situation will only get worse as we rely more and more on the Internet, social media, dating apps, etc. Australians must understand that this is NOT JUST the scammers from overseas, or online, but the scammers and con artists could be sitting across from you at work, your Plumber, a friend, or even a family member. Look at what Melissa Caddick did to her parents, family and close friends, and it is only going to get worse.

We did not 'GIVE' the scammers $25 million. We were coerced, conned, misled, gaslighted, and abused until we handed over our hard-earned savings.

In  the December 7, 2022 Sydney Morning Herald, in the article '‘People will be scammed’: Australians urged to be extra careful over Christmas period'  The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) calculated that the amount of money lost to scams in 2021 was well over $2 billion, which they anticipate could jump to more than $4 billion by the end of 2022 with reported scams already significantly higher.' and 'ACCC deputy chair Delia Rickard said only about 13 per cent of victims of scams reported them,'

I reported the scam in 2018 to ACCC, ASIC, ATO. AFCA, WA Police, QLD Police, Directors Institute, financial governing bodies, scam watch, etc, you name it.

ASIC has advised that they do not act on behalf of individuals even though other investors and I have lost millions, and we are to go to civil court.

The issue with this line of thinking is I am the only one who has been the victim of a romance-baiting scam in this scenario. Like many victims, I do not have the funds to take the predator and his associates to civil court, and this is what they're banking on.

The criminal justice system and regulatory bodies are not empowered to  act on behalf of individuals, as they do not have the laws and legislation inplace.

So the every day joe boggs has no one to turn to for help unless they have money. The system can not protect us.

'WHY DO THE RIGHT THING' when you can get away with it. The victim is expected to go to civil court to get compensation or justice. How does the VICTIM do that when the predator has taken every ounce of digity and self confidence they have, and all their savings?

To date, the predator, his colleagues and the accountants have not been taken to task or taken any responsibility for what they have done. He knew from the start I was vulnerable, naive, and chronically ill. The predators (con artists, accountants, and directors) are currently not facing criminal charges this is due to official bodies not having the resources nor trained to act. Yet due to their activities, I (the victim) am now facing a prison sentence or a $100,000.00 fine, and I have done nothing wrong.

SBS, Insight, Season 2022, Episode 17 - 'Conned' @42 minutes and 40 seconds, the lawyer explained how con artists get away with it. From what he advises, it is a bit of a perfect storm; generally, there are three issues as outlined below:

• it is massively underreported worldwide.
• fraud is complex and challenging to investigate, and when prosecuting in this jurisdiction, you have to  prove beyond a reasonable doubt,
• (in his experience) law enforcement, generally, tends to lack the motivation, the training and the resources.to do this sort of work.

Every day vulnerable, lonely, naive Australians are being taken advantage of, and the Australian Justice System and Regulatory Bodies are not empowered to protect them.

Why is scam abuse not taken seriously when we have elderly abuse, domestic abuse, and disability abuse? All are relevant and problematic in their own right; however, scamming abuse is not taken seriously and is stigmatised. This leaves the victims feeling unprotected, vulnerable, unseen, and unheard.

Currently, there are no criminal statutes to enable the Australian Justice System and Regulatory Bodies to ensure predators and their assocaiates face the consequences of their actions.

This needs to change; we need the law to change.

By signing this petition and making scams a criminal offence due to severe mental and emotional abuse not just for the financial loss or fraud, we will deter perdators and help reduce the number of scams, because we will have empowered the  Australian Justice System and Regulatory Bodies, and ensued there will be real-life consequences for the predator and their associates.

This is an important cause that affects more people than is known, and your support would be greatly appreciated. 

Please sign and share so we can help victims have a voice.

Thank you, and stay well

Nadine