About

Welcome to the first blog/website to write about Australia’s very own ‘Grindr Swindler’ who has recently been been given a custodial sentence by a magistrate in Melbourne. A couple of years ago I met someone on Grindr who defrauded me. I believe he is Dongqiao Li (born in 1993) whose name is also sometimes spelt as Dong Qiao Li and who is generally known as Tony Lee. Victims often know him as Anton, Tony or Anthony. The whole experience has sent me down a rabbit hole in search for the truth, to hold him accountable and to prevent him doing this to others. It has been a journey full of surprises, frustration and disappointment but it has never been dull. A few minor details have been changed to protect the innocent, but everything is as I experienced it. This is the story of how I unmasked the man who I believe defrauded me and others.

Why have I created this blog? I seek no recognition or reward. I simply do not want others to go through what I have. I wish to be a voice for other victims including those who may not have felt comfortable reporting the crime in which they were a victim. We are not simply statistics or just victims but individuals with our own stories who placed our trust in Li.

This is not someone who has made a couple of mistakes in life but someone who has repeatedly reoffended over a period of more than ten years. He has been given numerous opportunities to reform and seek help but has chosen instead to reoffend and betray the trust of those he has met in the most intimate way. For a long time, I felt feelings of shame and embarrassment but then I decided it was time to fight back, warn others and hold Dongqiao Li accountable.

After more than a decade of numerous court appearances on fraud-related charges in three states he was finally been given a custodial sentence in Victoria in early September 2025. He is still wanted on arrest warrants in NSW and South Australia. The magistrate in Melbourne who sentenced him to three months in prison stated that she believed his crimes were carefully planned and cold and calculated.

She felt that given his long criminal history she had no choice other than to give him a custodial sentence which would have been 12 months if it was not for letters from specialists in mental health. It was also revealed in media reports that he had previous convictions for shop lifting and possession of child pornography. It is no surprise that his lawyer, on his behalf, asked the court to stop Li’s name being published in the media as well as details of the case. Journalists successfully challenged the media suppression order, and it was lifted.

Before his arrest in Melbourne in April 2025 Li had absconded from Sydney where he was due to be sentenced the previous week on fraud related charges. He was found guilty of all charges in his absence. At a hearing in Melbourne, according to the media, he claimed he had fled NSW because he had a ‘stalker’ in the court. I can reveal that this ‘stalker’ was in fact one of his victims and had every right to sit in the court room as both a member of the public but also as one of his victims. I believe it shows the level of Li’s manipulation and contempt for his victims, the court and the police when he tried to use one of his victims as his alibi for going AWOL. I see this as a form of victim blaming and find it appalling. It also adds to the hurt and feelings of violation that his victim was experiencing.

I am most grateful to victims, journalists and former friends and acquaintances of Dongqiao Li/Tony Lee for helping provide valuable information and for sharing their stories. Thank you.

Disclaimer: The following blog is designed to share my story and that of other victims. The intention is also to warn others in case the convicted fraudster contacts them or they think of contacting him. The blog is also written with the intention of encouraging anyone who believes they have been a victim of his to contact their local law enforcement agency or Crime Stoppers. He is also wanted on arrest warrants in NSW and in South Australia. I have attached details in this blog of who to contact and you are welcome to contact me for guidance.

I ask that nobody contacts or approaches Dongqiao Li. I also utterly condemn any form of harassment of him. Again, if you have concerns, please reach out to me at jamesriches739@gmail.com or contact your local police force or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Dongqiao Li leaving court in Sydney in March 2025.

Photo supplied.