Serial Grindr Scammer Jailed After Decade Long Fraud Spree

Serial Grindr scammer Dong Qiao Li has been sentenced to three months in jail after a Melbourne court heard he spent more than a decade defrauding victims out of almost $120,000.

As reported by Gay Sydney News, Magistrate Carolyn Burnside told the court Li had more than enough time to understand the “dishonest and serious” nature of his offending.

The 32-year-old had “been given so many opportunities” to “realise the gravity of this fraudulent behaviour, to realise how dishonest and damaging it is to other people”.

Li’s latest sentencing follows a string of convictions across multiple states for similar offences.

Elaborate Grindr hotel scam

The convicted fraudster came to national attention when he was unmasked as the man behind a hotel scam spanning New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

Operating under aliases including Tony Lee, Anthony and Anton, Li lured men he met on Grindr to luxury hotels. While his victims showered, he secretly photographed their identification and bank cards.

The stolen details were later used to book high-end accommodation, flights and entertainment, allowing Li to live an extravagant lifestyle at his victims’ expense.

Victims reported thousands of dollars in unauthorised charges with major companies including Qantas, Hughes chauffeur service, the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Theatre Company.

One victim, who asked to be identified only as Boris, recognised Li from court photographs and said he had suffered almost $5,000 in fraudulent and attempted transactions after meeting him in Victoria in late 2024.

Another man, Mei, told 7NEWS the scam may have generated Li as much as $1 million since 2019.

Criminal history across states

Li has repeatedly evaded capture, using stolen images and multiple false identities for his Grindr profiles. He failed to appear at scheduled hearings in Sydney, where a warrant was issued in his absence, adding to existing warrants in Victoria and South Australia.

He was previously arrested at a luxury Sydney hotel earlier this year following a 7NEWS investigation, and he has prior convictions for dishonest offending dating back to at least 2014.

Magistrate Burnside previously described Li as “sophisticated… very intelligent”, noting that he repeatedly preyed on men “who could be considered vulnerable because of their sexuality”.

Despite earlier correctional orders and opportunities to rehabilitate, Li continued to offend, leading prosecutors to demand a custodial sentence.

On Friday, Magistrate Burnside concluded there was little alternative but to impose prison time, stressing Li’s persistent disregard for the courts and his victims.

After years of exploiting men through deception, Li will now serve three months behind bars.