Australian woman meets perfect match on Bumble. Now she’s lost thousands and says there are other victims

Australian content creator Jaixi “Sissi” Wang has revealed that an online relationship originating on the dating app Bumble devolved into an alleged romance scam, losing her $30,350 AUD. According to a video Wang posted to her YouTube channel, Missing Person Sissi, the Sydney-based baby photographer and recently separated mother matched with a 52-year-old man who presented himself as a highly successful finance professional, former corporate CEO, and devoted single father. The two quickly built a rapport over several months through frequent messages, expensive dinners, and shared details of their family lives.

Wang liked the man’s disciplined lifestyle and active parenting. Eventually, Wang and her daughter unexpectedly crossed paths with the man and his daughter at a national youth soccer tournament in Canberra, where the four shared a lunch, according to news.com.au.

Then, after three months of dating, the man initially pressured Wang for a $30,000 AUD investment opportunity, which she refused. Unlike typical “pig butchering” romance scam schemes that funnel victim funds into fake cryptocurrency or trading platforms under the guise of investments, this fraud operated as a classic confidence trick based on fabricated personal crises.

Then the personal financial crisis popped up

One month later, he pivotally requested an emergency personal loan of $10,000 AUD, claiming he was sitting with his attorney and urgently needed to bridge a short-term cash flow gap to clear legal documents. Believing his wealthy persona and promises of a one-week repayment, Wang complied. Over subsequent weeks, she sent additional funds across multiple transfers, including a final $350 AUD payment intended to cover account fees required to unlock his promised repayment.

The relationship fractured when Wang requested her money back to settle her ongoing divorce. The man delayed payments using falsified transaction screenshots and excuses regarding his trust manager. After noticing he was still actively seeking matches on Bumble, Wang reported the matter to local law enforcement.

Within five minutes of reviewing his identity, authorities revealed that Wang was the fifth woman to report this exact individual to that specific police station. Law enforcement disclosed that the scammer has operated this precise playbook for over 20 years, with his earliest recorded victim dating back two decades, and another target defrauded of $150,000 AUD.

When Wang threatened to expose the scammer, he sent her a screenshot of a fraudulent legal notice threatening a lawsuit for defamation. Driven by the discovery that the man remains active on dating apps using altered profile pictures, Wang chose to publicly share her story to warn other vulnerable women in the dating pool against his emotional and financial manipulation.