Dongqiao Li has now been released from prison in Victoria after being sentenced on fraud-related charges and previous breaches. It is hoped that Li has had time to reflect on his many years of criminal activity defrauding victims he has met using apps such as Grindr. I hope he will have now decided to use the opportunity to change his ways and lead an honest life that does not involve taking advantage of an often marginalised group for his own financial gain. I also hope he is receiving professional support to dissuade him from reoffending and to help address any mental health issues he has.
Thanks to media coverage and a custodial sentence his hopes of leading his previous lifestyle are somewht more limited. It will now be easier for victims to identify him as he comes up high in Google searches for instance. Having now served a custodial sentence it will also be harder for him to get away with receiving simply another Community Corrections Order if he reoffends – something that has not previously appeared to have acted as a deterrent.
As you may recall Li is known by the police in Victoria as Dong Qiao Li but is also known elsewhere, including in NSW, under the very similar spelling of Dongqiao Li. He is known to friends as Tony Lee and has used the aliases of Tony, Anthony and Anton or similar variations to victims. Typically, he has travelled around Australia staying in five-star hotels. He will contact people on Grindr who he will invite to his hotel room. He will as some point during the encounter encourage them to have a shower. It is at this point he accesses their wallets and will take photos of their debit and credit card details. With a short time, he will use their card details to defraud them.
We understand that during his time in custody his Facebook profile had been deactivated. We are now told that since his release it has been reactivated. His Instagram remains active. I mention this as previous victims have mentioned him using social media as a means of retaining contact with them.
He has now served prison time in Victoria, but it should be remembered that he is still wanted on outstanding warrants in both NSW and South Australia. I encourage Li to hand himself over to the authorities in those states and take responsibility and accountability for his crimes. In NSW he was found guilty of fraud related charges in his absence after absconding from court in Sydney in March 2025.
If you genuinely believe you have been defrauded by Li, please call the police in your state. It does not matter how long ago you were defrauded or how much was taken. You can also call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. If you know of Li’s whereabouts in either NSW or South Australia, where he is wanted on arrest warrants, please call local police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Please note – I utterly condemn any harassment of Li or of those who know him and advise anyone who has genuine concerns about him or his behaviour to contact police.
You can read some news articles about Li here:
Accused luxury hotel fraudster caught by police after allegedly exploiting men across Sydney | 7NEWS
Dong Qiao Li: Police seek jail time for serial Grindr fraudster
Dong Qiao Li jailed after Grindr fraud exposed to magistrate
The Grindr Swindler 
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