[r/Scams | Score: 37]

I was advised to post here from another sub for some assistance regarding my father.

My dad is 62 years old and I most definitely believe he’s being scammed by a woman he met on a dating website. I will lay out the red flags here:

\- Her profile said she was located in Melbourne but when they started talking, she then said she’s actually in Russia.

\- They have spoken on the phone and via Zoom video chat. He claims she looks like her pictures but I know AI is extremely advanced so this doesn’t mean anything. I’m unsure if he asked her to do something like hold up 3 fingers or do something to prove that she’s a real person.

\- She claims that due to the “ongoing situation” in Russia she is unable to communicate with him any other way than by email.

\- She has no social media (that I know of) and I have only seen one picture which I’m 99.9% sure is AI generated.

\- She is apparently coming to Australia next week to see him. He claims she is paying for her own ticket. I do not know if he knows flight information yet.

So far, no money has been exchanged but I’m waiting for when she says she’s stuck at the airport or something and needs help with money for a Visa, hotel etc.

My dad was recently scammed out of $3000 online and I’m afraid that he just doesn’t have the awareness needed to recognise when things aren’t real or are too good to be true. I need to be able to confront him without pushing him away and help him to learn some discernment tactics when it comes to being online :(