Identity of Sydney’s luxury hotel fraudster revealed
International news
A Sydney court has convicted and issued an arrest warrant for Dongqiao Li in relation to a series of frauds that exploited gay men he met through dating apps. The 31-year-old is now wanted in three Australian states, with outstanding warrants in Victoria and South Australia.
After he failed to attend a Sydney court appearance last week where he was convicted in absentia, the judge issued a court order for his arrest. He was arrested by NSW police after a tip-off from Channel 7.
The broadcaster uncovered multiple allegations that he met men through the dating app Grindr and invited them to meet him a luxurious five-star hotel rooms.
Once the men arrived, he allegedly encouraged them to take a shower, and while the men were showering, he would copy their identification and credit cards, using them to fund his next hotel room stay and travel expenses.
Victims would find their credit cards racking up charges for plane flights, chauffer services, theatre tickets and other expensive purchases.