TL;DR: YourLifeChoices reported on October 16, 2026, citing The Courier-Mail, that Clifford Stanley Perrin of Hervey Bay, Queensland, spent over a decade in a romance scam with “Stella”, who said she was a 36-year-old former New York model. After he died on Christmas Eve 2025, Justice Rebecca Treston found Stella was not a real person. The scam left his estate with one asset, his home. No dollar amounts are reported.
What happened
YourLifeChoices, citing The Courier-Mail, reports that Clifford Stanley Perrin, a pensioner from Hervey Bay, Queensland, was 71 and divorced when he met a woman online in 2012. She called herself Stella Helena Perrin (née Burnett), said she was 36 and a former New York fashion model from an upper middle-class family. Perrin told a friend by email that they married in New York in 2013, although he was not present at any wedding.
What the scam took
- Money sent to accounts in other people's names, plus Bitcoin, iTunes and Steam Wallet gift cards, cash to unnamed third parties, and SIM cards and iPhones sent overseas.
- His credit card, bank, myGov and identity document details.
- The article gives no dollar amounts. The scam left his estate with one asset, the Hervey Bay home.
The court case
Perrin died on Christmas Eve 2025. A 2024 will named “wife” Stella as sole beneficiary of the property. His daughter, Tanya Maree Stankovich, asked the court to intervene. When she contacted Stella, Stella refused to prove her identity, asked for money and deleted the chat. Justice Rebecca Treston found Stella was not a real person and had never existed during the supposed relationship. Probate was granted to Ms Stankovich as sole beneficiary and executor.
Why this matters for families
A fake partner can end up named in a will or on a bank form, and unwinding it takes a court. Families can watch for new “partners” in wills, powers of attorney and bank mandates. Our guides on protecting elderly parents and elder fraud statistics explain how to start the conversation.
Red flags
- Strong feelings declared quickly, and a partner who never meets or video calls.
- Requests for money, gift cards, crypto or personal documents.
- Payments to accounts in other people's names.
- A partner who refuses to prove their identity.
Report to Scamwatch and read how to report a scam to Scamwatch and the Scamwatch and IDCARE recovery process. Try our free digital footprint check for yourself or a parent.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did the pensioner lose?
The article gives no dollar amounts. It says the scam left his estate with one asset, the Hervey Bay home.
What did the judge find?
Justice Rebecca Treston found “Stella” was not a real person and had never existed during the supposed relationship.
What happened to the home?
Probate was granted to his daughter, Tanya Maree Stankovich, as sole beneficiary and executor.
What did the scammer ask for?
Money, Bitcoin, gift cards, SIM cards and iPhones, plus his credit card, bank, myGov and ID details.
Sources
- YourLifeChoices: Pensioner's tragic 12-year romance with a woman who never existed (Oct 16, 2026)
- Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre)