Dianne Davis acted as intermediary for scam artists targeting lonely women, court told

A fake US serviceman named ‘Charles’, a non-existent barrister and a lonely woman who became both intermediary and victim – this is the anatomy of an online romance scam.

A lonely woman believed a US serviceman named Charles would come to Australia and marry her if she allowed hundreds of thousands of dollars to flow through her account, a court has heard.

Dianne Davis, 53 from Paralowie, pleaded guilty to 55 counts of money laundering totalling $540,000 over her role in an online romance scam.

But Davis herself was a victim and had sent the person posing as Charles $5000 to pay for a non-existent visa.

On Wednesday, James Watson, prosecuting, told Chief Magistrate Judge Mary-Louise Hribal that Davis’ offending had been protracted and involved large sums of money.

However, Davis did not profit financially from the scam.

“While she was a small cog in a larger syndicate, she was a vital cog,” he said.

“Without people acting in intermediary positions in these kinds of operations they wouldn’t be as successful.”

Several victims of the scam, women who had met ‘Charles’ online and sent Davis money to send on to him, read victim impact statements.

Dianne Davis leaves the Adelaide Magistrates Court. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

One of the women said the scam had left her unable to pay for the funeral of her 14-year-old grandson who died suddenly.

“I couldn’t even afford a headstone,” she wrote.

Another victim said Davis was “evil in disguise” and had taken advantage of her kindness.

Marie Shaw KC, for Davis, told the court her client had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and had limited personal skills.

“She was easy prey to a scammer and because of her issues was unable to extricate herself from the situation,” she said.

Davis was initially approached by Charles on social media and began communicating with him.

She sent him the $5000 to secure his visa but then he went silent for two months.

When he returned online Charles and a second scam profile posing as a barrister convinced Davis to allow money to come into her account and then be transferred on to them.

Dianne Davis outside the Adelaide Magistrates Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards.

Davis also met one of the victims in person at Adelaide Airport and received money.

On one occasion police attended Davis’ home after the bank reported the unusual flow of money.

The officers “gave her the benefit of the doubt” and passed on information about how to avoid being scammed.

Davis continued to offend after that and when she was arrested said she had been “mad” to allow her bank account to be used in such a way.

“I was stupid and thought he was going to marry me,” she told police.

Mrs Shaw said Davis would lose her job when convicted and was not in a position to pay any compensation.

Judge Hribal said that while Davis had received no financial advantage from the deceit, she had received emotional comfort from thinking she was in a relationship for several years.

Davis will be sentenced later this month.