Romance scam money mule has $239k go through her bank account

Grandmother Jillian Edwards, 59, previously of Scotts Creek, and now Colac, pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Friday, January 19, to one count of negligently dealing with the proceeds of crime.

The court heard a Warrnambool district construction company was a major victim of an email scam involving bank account details being changed.

Money owed then went through Edwards' National Australia Bank account and she moved it offshore at the request of an Egyptian love interest.

Transactions happened between March and July in 2019 and Edwards continued making the transactions even after the Timboon NAB branch told her that her account was involved in fraudulent money movements.

The court heard Edwards was contacted by a man on dating website Plenty Of Fish and she believed she was in an online relationship with Egyptian man Antonio Rocco Rossi.

In total $239,079.56 was moved in fraudulent transactions.

Edwards has no prior court appearances and the maximum penalty for the charge is 10 years' imprisonment.

The court heard Edwards made no money out of the scam.

Her lawyer said Edwards had been taken in by the scam and moved the money at the request of Mr Rossi, who threatened to end their relationship.

"She spent quite a period speaking to this person. She should have been alerted, had some some suspicions about the mess she was getting in," she said.

"She's quite vulnerable and had suffered a severe period of loneliness. To maintain the romantic relationship she consented to the requests.

"There was no financial benefit to her."

The lawyer said Edwards now realised she had been taken for a fool.

"It's very embarrassing. It's been a particularly negative experience," she said.

"She tried to maintain what she believed at the time was a legitimate relationship."

Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge said Edwards had been suckered into a scam, but her prospects of rehabilitation were high.

"It just goes to show in this day and age you just have to be so careful. There was an enormous amount of money involved," he said.

"If you had been dishonest, the architect of the scheme, you would be facing a very significant jail term.

"In the circumstances you were a bit overwhelmed and what was on offer was blinding you to common sense.

"With a desire to maintain the relationship you turned a blind eye to what was happening."

Edwards was convicted and placed on a two-year good behaviour bond.