Brisbane author loses $40,000 in romance scam exposed by chicken soup message
Jane Musgrave, a Brisbane author in early recovery from alcoholism, lost $40,000 to a man she met online who claimed to love her and repeatedly asked for financial help. A message telling her to eat chicken soup when she was not ill revealed it had been intended for another woman, confirming her friends’ warnings and leaving her facing severe debt.
Musgrave said the requests began with money for the man’s mother’s medication, then continued with claims of work problems. She used credit cards and cash advances and borrowed from loan sharks, but says she did not relapse and rebuilt her life. In Australia, Scamwatch recorded nearly $140 million in romance-scam losses last year from 1,330 people, a 22 per cent rise; more than 80 per cent of losses followed online contact, and people over 65 accounted for more than a quarter.
In short
- A wrong-recipient chicken soup message exposed the romance scam.
- Musgrave lost $40,000 and took on serious debt.
- Australians reported nearly $140 million in romance-scam losses last year.
Explained simply
Romance scams involve someone building a relationship online and then asking for money, often with claims of illness or financial trouble. The person may present themselves as a loving partner, while concealing who they are or what they intend.
Jane Musgrave is a Brisbane author who was recovering from alcoholism when she met a man online. He said he loved her and asked for help with his mother’s medication and work problems; she borrowed and used credit to send him money.
The case sits within a wider pattern of financial loss in Australia: Scamwatch recorded nearly $140 million in romance-scam losses last year. Knowing that requests for money can occur within apparent relationships helps explain why friends and relatives may be concerned, and why victims can face serious debt.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “I’m an Aussie who gave my handsome young online lover $40,000 and borrowed from loan sharks to help him… then a message about chicken soup exposed his cruel scam”.