Sugar dating scams in Australia: warning signs and reporting

Common warning signs

• A fee to receive money. Someone promises support, then asks you to pay a release, verification, tax or account-upgrade fee first. Do not pay to unlock a promised transfer.
• Payment screenshots and overpayments. A screenshot is not evidence that funds have cleared. Do not forward money, buy gift cards or return a supposed overpayment on a stranger’s instructions. Ask your bank about suspicious transfers.
• An urgent crisis. Travel costs, a medical emergency or a frozen account become your responsibility before you have established trust.
• An investment opportunity. A dating conversation changes into instructions to buy cryptocurrency or use a trading platform they recommend.
• Pressure for sensitive information. Never share banking passwords, one-time codes, identity documents or remote access to your device with another member.
• Secrecy and inconsistent stories. They discourage you from talking to friends, refuse reasonable checks or repeatedly cancel meetings while asking for money.

One sign alone does not prove fraud. Several together, especially urgency and requests for money, are a reason to stop. A video call or approved profile is not a guarantee of safety either.

Keep financial discussions separate from payment demands

Adults can discuss what they are looking for without agreeing to transfer money. A discussion about support is not permission to access an account, collect ID or demand an advance. Do not send money to someone you only know online, even if they promise to repay you.

Take your time, keep early conversations on SDC and arrange a first meeting in a public place with your own transport. Meeting in person still does not make a later money request safe.

If you suspect a scam: take these steps

1. Stop payments and pause contact. If you sent money or shared bank details, contact your bank immediately through its official app or published number. Ask whether a payment can be stopped or recovered; recovery is not guaranteed.
2. Save evidence safely. Keep usernames, profile details, message dates, transaction receipts and relevant screenshots. Do not download or share sexual images of anyone under 18 or other illegal content.
3. Tell SDC and block the member. In Messages, open Support and provide the member’s name and what happened. Use the chat’s menu to block them. If you cannot sign in, use our contact page. Never send support your password or one-time code.
4. Report outside the platform too. Report scams to Scamwatch. Contact local police if you are threatened or a crime has occurred. For immediate danger in Australia, call 000.
5. Secure affected accounts. Change compromised passwords using a trusted device, enable multi-factor authentication where available and speak to someone you trust.

If someone threatens to share intimate images

Do not pay or send more images. Stop contact, preserve evidence safely and get help. The eSafety Commissioner’s image-based abuse reporting service can help eligible people in Australia with images shared, or threats to share them, without consent. You do not have to report to SDC before seeking eSafety’s help.

Being targeted is not your fault. Be cautious of anyone who charges a fee and promises to recover your money: that can be another scam.

Sources and scope

This guide draws on Scamwatch’s relationship-scam advice and the eSafety guidance linked above, checked on 29 October 2026. It is general safety information, not legal advice or a guarantee that a member is safe.