A man once dubbed the “Tinder love rat” has been charged in Texas with a fraud-related offence, years after attracting attention in Australia over claims from former partners and past legal matters.
Brett Joseph, 39, who now lives in Texas, was recently arrested and charged with fraudulent use or possession of fewer than five pieces of another person’s identifying information, according to records from the Stephens County Jail in Texas.
The records show he was arrested on August 5 and spent two nights in custody before being released on bond, with the amount redacted.
A fresh mugshot was also included in the booking records.
Joseph has previously been the subject of extensive Australian media coverage, including reports by A Current Affair in 2017, as well as stories in other tabloids and current affairs outlets.
Multiple people have come forward alleging he misrepresented his identity, wealth and work history, used dating platforms to form relationships, and left some former partners claiming they were financially and emotionally devastated.
One of the most vocal campaigners against him, Daisy Armstrong from regional NSW, said she was in a six-month relationship with Joseph in 2016 after meeting him on Tinder and has spent years running a public warning campaign online.
“Everything I have learnt since the day I found out just who Brett was has started a fire in me,” Ms Armstrong said.
“It is time for law enforcement to properly investigate this man and bring him to account for his criminal activities.”
Her website and Facebook page, set up to share information about Joseph’s legal troubles and allegations made by former partners and others, became widely known after the A Current Affair report aired in 2017.
According to the program, former partners alleged Joseph presented himself as wealthy, well-connected and successful, then relied on others to fund his lifestyle.
“I was totally head over heels for the guy and I honestly believed that he was the same for me,” Ms Armstrong told the program.
A Current Affair reported that former partners accused Joseph of using charm and false prestige to gain trust, and aired claims from women who said they were left financially and emotionally devastated.
In Texas, one relationship ended just short of the altar.
The Dallas Morning News reported in 2017 that Stephanie Hoskins had planned a wedding and reception at Southfork Ranch before discovering the man she knew as Brett Goodman was in fact Brett Joseph.
Ms Hoskins told the paper she believed she was engaged to a wealthy oil executive in the US on a work visa, describing him as “very clever, very detailed”.
“Whenever he tries to convince you of something, it’s like he’s casting a spell over you,” Ms Hoskins told the publication.
Days before they were due to obtain a marriage licence, she said she found identification bearing a different name and later uncovered online warnings and Australian media reports about him.
“I started to realise … this was really serious,” she said.
The wedding was called off, police were contacted and Joseph later denied the allegations in comments to the newspaper.
Former fraud squad boss Mike Gerondis told A Current Affair he had spent years looking into Mr Joseph and believed the number of men and women who may have been deceived by him stretched beyond 30.
“I’ve spoken to a number of girls, they haven’t got over it,” he said.
“It’s very, very troubling for these poor girls who believed this bloke and thought that he loved them and was doing the right thing by them and all he was doing was feathering his own nest.”
Ms Armstrong said her goal was to ensure people had enough information “in case this man walks into your life, the life of someone you love, the life of a colleague”.