An evil love scammer went after my lonely mother. The lost thousands was bad enough… then I learned what she’d also sent ‘him’

After 25 years of being single and living alone in her retirement village, Julee Dennis never imagined she’d fall in love again – let alone with a stranger online. 

But when ‘Donald Johnson’ messaged her through a dating site for singles over 60, his gentle attention and whirlwind promises proved irresistible.

‘It was nice having attention after all these years. I hadn’t felt wanted for so long,’ Julee, now 80, recalled.

For months, she woke to loving messages, daily emails and a sense of companionship she’d thought was impossible.

Donald claimed to be a widowed construction engineer from England, formerly based in Orange, New South Wales, but now settled in Sydney after his son and daughter returned to the UK following their mother’s death.

Julee and Donald chatted via WhatsApp and email about everything from weekend plans to what they were having for breakfast.

Occasionally, they spoke on the phone, with Donald using a British accent – deepening Julee’s trust. 

‘The interactions were slow, gentle and very convincing,’ Julee said.

‘I decided it was my turn to get out there and get into the big world again… friends encouraged me to give online dating a go, so I did – and that’s how it all started.’

She created a profile, listed her hobbies and described herself in a nutshell. Before long, she was exchanging messages with Donald morning and night. 

‘We spoke every morning, through the day, and into the evening. I would wake up to messages from him and finally felt wanted again,’ she said.

Emails seen by the Daily Mail reveal Donald frequently used affectionate language and made emotional declarations.

One read: ‘I just want you to know I have found the love of my life and my best friend in you… I was so alone in this whole wide world, but I found a companion for life in you when you arrived… I wish I could start my day with a warm hug from you and that will soon happen.’

But as Julee became more absorbed in the relationship, her daughter Kylee began to sense something wasn’t right.

‘She was tired more often. I would ring her at lunchtime and she would still be in bed. In hindsight, it was because she was talking late into the night,’ Kylee said.

Kylee’s suspicions deepened when Julee asked for $20,000 from her late brother’s estate, split into two payments.

‘She didn’t say what she needed it for, and nor did I push it. Even my husband asked me, “Why does she need $10,000 for?” But it was her business, not mine. So I gave it to her.’

In January 2023, Julee finally told Kylee about Donald and shared a photo – and alarm bells began to ring.

‘Something seemed off. He looked like he was my age. I said to my husband, “I have a problem with this. What is his intention?”

With 14 years’ experience as a detective in the New South Wales Police Force, Kylee knew when things didn’t add up. 

‘To me, he was either using photos that didn’t represent what he currently looks like, or it was a fake profile,’ she said. 

Kylee ran a reverse image search.

‘Within an hour, I knew the profile was fake, so I took a deep breath, poured myself another glass of wine and dug a bit deeper.

‘Mum also sent me photos of him in what looked like a conference meeting. I was able to find the photos were actually of a political reporter and a member of parliament – totally unrelated to Donald Johnson’s story.’

After three hours of digging, Kylee discovered the images were stolen from a real estate agent in California. 

The hardest part was telling her mother the truth.

‘Mum, I hate to tell you but you’re not speaking to Donald Johnson. You’re being scammed. These photos have been stolen and belong to somebody else in America,’ she told her.

‘Mum cried on the phone and was heartbroken. I broke her heart in a zillion pieces – not one of my finest moments.’

When asked whether she’d sent the scammer money, Julee denied it.

‘I would never in this world send any man or woman money. I’m not that stupid,’ she said, although emails show finances were discussed and Kylee is not certain what became of the $20,000 her mother requested.

After learning the truth, Julee reduced contact with Donald and eventually stopped messaging him altogether.

Kylee, meanwhile, created a fake dating profile to investigate further. Within an hour, she had uncovered ten fake profiles using stolen photos from social media. 

‘I would pick photos, use reverse facial recognition to see if the images were stolen and would talk to them to understand the language they used… I wanted to see how quickly they would ask for money and was shocked by how many told me they loved me.’

Julee said the scariest part of falling for the scam was sharing private family photos with a complete stranger. ‘Now this stranger has photos of me too,’ added Kylee.

Both women now recognise the red flags.

‘Most times, they say they’re a widow whose wife died from cancer. They’re coming up to retirement soon but have “one last job” to complete, often overseas,’ Julee said.

Trust builds gradually, supported by convincing business or family backstories.

Kylee pointed out other tactics: ‘They use affectionate terms like ‘my darling’ or ‘my love’. There’s always an excuse for not meeting in person, they refuse to video call, and they tell the victim not to mention the relationship to family or friends.

Inspired by her mother’s experience, Kylee launched a private investigation business, Two Face Investigators, specialising in online scams.

‘It could’ve been a lot worse. Remember your “why” when going into dating. Always pause, check and ask before believing anyone online. Until you meet in person, assume they’re not real,’ she warned.