A judge in Melbourne has sentenced a 32 year old man to three months behind bars over a series of fraud offences which scammed victims of almost $120,000.
Dong Qiao Li, who has also used the names Tony Lee, and Anthony and Anton, lured men he met on dating app Grindr to luxury hotels.
While his victims showered he would photograph their credit cards and identification and then use them to fund a lavish lifestyle that included accommodation, flights and entertainment.
The man has prior convictions for similar offences across the country and there’s also warrants for his arrest in several states.
Magistrate Carolyn Burnside said Li has more than enough time to understand the “dishonest and serious” nature of his repeat offending, and this time there was no option than a prison sentence.
The court heard that since 2013 Li has scammed $119,000 from his victims, but there’s also been suggestions that the true level of his offending is likely much higher and his offending had taken place across Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.
His most recent offence before the court related to an incident in November 2024 where he met a man at Hotel Indigo in Melbourne’s CBD. After the pair engaged in a “consensual intimate encounter” he encouraged his victim to take a shower.
Days later the man noticed four suspicious transactions on his credit card that amounted to $1417, and he realised he’d been scammed.
The judge described his behaviour as “cold and calculating”, noting that he was already serving a corrections order at the time of his offending.
