Aussie woman shares eerie encounter with scammer after losing millions of dollars

Disclaimer: The names in asterisks (*) were changed for privacy purposes.

Holiday trips should be a time for relaxation and recreation.

However, a woman's recent experience during a trip abroad brought flashbacks during a 'shameful' period.

This harrowing story should remind everyone of the sophisticated and heartless tactics scammers use to prey on unsuspecting victims.


Melbourne local Roxy* lost a staggering $1.9 million to scammers under the guise of an online trading platform.

Roxy's ordeal began with an innocent text message from a man named Wei Chen, who claimed to have been introduced to her through her business clients.

Wei Chen portrayed himself as a successful businessman living in Sydney and invested his fortune in an online trading platform called SpreadEx.


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Roxy* invested her entire savings in a fraudulent platform mimicking a legitimate trading website. Image Credit: Pexels/Cottonbro Studio


While SpreadEx was an actual United Kingdom-based financial trading company, Wei Chen introduced a fraudulent version to Roxy.

The fraud website uses the domain spreadexs.com, with an extra 's' to deceive their victims.

Convinced by Wei Chen's narrative, Roxy invested $300,000 of her savings into the platform.


As the scam deepened its hooks, she borrowed an additional $450,000 from friends and redrew on her mortgage.

She also encouraged her friends to invest, unknowingly drawing them into the scam.

The transactions were wired to newly made Australian business accounts.

The directors of these accounts hailed from various locations like Malaysia and Hong Kong but were using local residential addresses.

These individuals were suspected of being money mules and were part of a more extensive network designed to launder stolen funds.

Victoria Police are still investigating Roxy's case, but no charges have been laid.


The devastating impact of the scam became fully apparent when Roxy, while on holiday in China, was instructed by the scammers to hand over cash in person.

In a scene straight out of a thriller movie, she and a friend met a man in a desolate location and handed over 500,000 yuan ($198,000).

Upon her return to Australia, Roxy's nightmare worsened.

Her trading account got suspended, and she faced $442,000 in penalties for allowing someone else to manage her account.

Her last communication with Wei Chen was in April, nearly a year after the scam.

Now, Roxy and her husband are forced to work into their retirement years, all while repaying the borrowed money and the mortgage.

The shame and financial burden after the scam left them with a future they never imagined.


This cautionary tale should be a grim reminder that scammers are constantly evolving, all to exploit innocent Aussies and their money.

Always stay vigilant and sceptical about unsolicited investment opportunities.

Always verify the legitimacy of a company through independent research and be wary of anyone asking for money transfers or personal financial information.

If a scam has targeted you, act quickly.

Contact your bank to stop any transactions immediately and report the incident to the authorities, including Scamwatch.

By sharing stories like Roxy's, we can prevent others from falling prey to similar scams.
Key Takeaways

  • Melbourne local Roxy lost $1.9 million to a scam involving a fake online trading platform.
  • The scam victim not only invested her savings but also borrowed from friends and encouraged them to invest in the fraudulent scheme.
  • Roxy confronted one of the criminals in person during a holiday trip to China.
  • Victoria Police started their investigation on the case, with no charges laid yet as of writing. Roxy and her husband could continue working into their 60s and 70s to repay the debts incurred from the scam.
Have you or someone you know encountered a scam similar to Roxy's experience? Share your experiences in the comments below, and help educate and protect our community from scheming cyber criminals.
 

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A Chinese name and a company name ending in EX (quintex). 1+1=2 NOT 5. That should have rung the bells of Notre Dame. Introduced through her business clients............? If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
 
What a stupid idiot woman. What's the saying a Fool and Their Money are Easily Parted
 
Another one with golden dollars before their eyes, will they never learn.
 
$1.9 million dollars is a mega amount to lose. She was so gullible and trusting with being told she would make a fortune.
 
I don’t get peoples greed to get more than they already have and to borrow from friends 😯She had more than enough to live on and enjoy holidays to boot. Greed just messed with her common sense. No sympathy from me
 
Stupid is as stupid does!
A fool and their money are easily parted!
No sympathy whatsoever for an idiot!
 
She was just being greedy.
 
The Chinese name should have been the first warning....stupid people 🤫
 
Can’t believe people can be so gullible! Stupid and greedy - deserve all they get!
 
She entered the Lions Den with her greedy eyes wide open and took her friends money with her as well....then she got spat out with nothing more than a huge debt and loss of friends....deep remorse will live with her to her grave. Live and Learn.☹️
 
That’s. What you get when you become greedy and ambitious ..
No sympathy on my behalf.
 
Bet she has a lot less friends especially the ones she borrowed from
 
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Reactions: deni67 and magpie1
Dreadful story. Yes, greed led her to make a huge mistake, along with many others who are travelling along the same path today. And she and hubby are paying for it big time now. Hopefully they'll at least be able to stick together.
 
What the hell was her husband doing?
Was he standing in the corner of the room saying ÿes dear", you can stuff up our future.
Normally I can get how people can be fooled by sophisticated plots. This was just too outrageous to be real.
I have to agree with others. Greed was definitely the motivation.
 
What amazed me the most was meeting the scammer and handing cash over to him, and her friends are to blame as well lending money to her for greed.
 
The mind boggles at some peoples stupidity!
 

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