Alan James Hurley sentenced in Dalby District Court for receiving almost $1m from online ‘girlfriend’

An elderly Dalby man is behind bars after the woman he met online and fell in love with ‘duped’ him into receiving almost $1m, despite multiple police warnings.

An elderly Dalby man has been jailed after he was involved in a money laundering scam. istock.

An elderly man who fell victim to an online con has been jailed, after $800,000 of stolen money was transferred to his bank account in a two-month period from someone he claimed to be in love with.

Alan James Hurley was sentenced in Dalby District Court on March 16 after police warned him about the suspicious nature of the deposits he had received by a woman he thought to be his online girlfriend.

Crown prosecutor Natalie Lima told the court between June 1, 2021 and September 1, 2021 the 72-year-old had almost $1m deposited into his bank accounts by a woman he met through an online dating site.

Ms Lima said the woman asked Hurley to open up multiple bank accounts and provide her with the details.

The court was told the scam, which authorities believed was orchestrated by the online woman, involved a letter being sent to multiple businesses with invoices and the details of Hurley’s bank accounts attached.

Ms Lima said the man, who had no criminal history prior to the offence, was “a lonely man” and “susceptible” to the influences of the woman.

Defence barrister Michael Wood told the court in 2019 after Hurley was initially contacted by the woman he transferred her $29,000 of his own money as a “loan” that he was never paid back, after being “lured” into the arrangements “by a relationship”.

“He certainly became suspicious of the behaviour during the course of the offending,” Mr Wood said.

The court was told the woman claimed she was purchasing Bitcoin and trading diamonds when confronted by Hurley.

Judge Dennis Lynch acknowledged that it was not implied at any point that the man had anything to do with dishonesty or stealing money.

“I accept you were duped and were vulnerable and targeted for that reason,” he said.

“You had been in contact with someone you believed was a woman, but it’s uncertain whether that’s the case.

“Nevertheless your poor choices led to the significant loss of money to businesses.”

Hurley pleaded guilty to one count of reckless money laundering.

He was sentenced to two years jail, to be suspended after serving three months.