The 44-year-old Auckland woman appeared in Auckland District Court. Photo: Finn Blackwell / RNZA woman accused of defrauding a Dunedin man out of more than half a million dollars in an alleged 18-year romance scam has appeared in court for the first time today. The 44-year-old Auckland woman was arrested last week after a search warrant was carried out by the Dunedin Police and assisted by the Auckland City Financial Crime Unit. Police said romance scams were usually carried out by offshore offenders, making prosecutions difficult for law enforcement. Speaking broadly about romance scams, head of Auckland's Financial Crimes Unit Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Bolton told RNZ he had never seen a local perpetrator before.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 17, 2026 14:05 UTC