Identity of Alleged Hotel Fraudster Revealed Following Court Conviction

The man at the centre of a nationwide hotel fraud scheme has been publicly identified as 31-year-old Dongqiao Li, also known by several aliases including Tony Lee, Anthony, and Anton, following a conviction in a New South Wales court.

Li, who failed to appear at his scheduled hearing at Downing Centre Local Court, has been convicted of fraud and identity offences.

An arrest warrant was issued in his absence, adding to existing warrants in Victoria and South Australia.

Li’s identity was unmasked after a 7NEWS investigation traced him to a luxury Sydney hotel, where he was arrested by NSW Police earlier this year.

Authorities allege Li used dating app Grindr to lure men to five-star hotels, where he would secretly photograph their personal identification and banking details while they showered.

These stolen details were allegedly used to book future hotel stays and other luxury services, creating an elaborate lifestyle fraud.

Victims, who spoke to 7NEWS under pseudonyms, reported thousands of dollars in unauthorised charges, including transactions with Qantas, Hughes chauffeur service, the Sydney Opera House, and the Sydney Theatre Company.

One alleged victim, referred to as Boris, positively identified Li from court appearance photographs.

He reported nearly $5,000 in fraudulent and attempted transactions after meeting Li in Victoria in late 2024, more than two years after an arrest warrant was issued in Melbourne.

Another victim, Mei, told 7NEWS the scam may have earned Li upwards of $1 million since 2019.

Li is accused of evading capture by using multiple identities, false names, and stolen social media images for his Grindr profiles.

Despite repeated contact attempts, Li did not respond to 7NEWS inquiries and has since blocked their journalists from contacting him.

Li’s criminal history includes a warrant of apprehension from Adelaide issued in 2018 and previous breaches of correctional orders in both NSW and Victoria.

Police continue to investigate, and anyone who believes they may have been targeted is urged to contact authorities.