All articles tagged with #romance scam
A 76-year-old Belgian man traveled 760 km to meet a French beauty queen he believed was his fiancée, only to discover he had been scammed and was met by her husband, highlighting the dangers of online romance fraud.
A Miami man lost $42,000 in an Ethereum investment scheme that began with a romance scam on Instagram, using the photograph of a woman claiming to be a CEO of Estee Lauder. The victim made small investments and saw gains, but when he tried to withdraw the funds, he was asked to pay, and his money disappeared. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission reported that losses to romance scams totaled $1.14 billion in 2023, advising people to never send money to anyone they haven't met in person and to be suspicious of promises of increasing their nest egg.
Victims in the United States are falling prey to a sophisticated cryptocurrency romance scam, known as "pig butchering," orchestrated by crime syndicates in Southeast Asia. Using digitally altered deepfake videos and AI-generated profile pictures, scammers lure victims into fake crypto investments through online dating apps. The FBI reported over 40,000 people losing more than $3.5 billion to cryptocurrency fraud in 2021, but many victims are too ashamed to report the crime. Recovery is difficult, and some victims even fall prey to fake recovery agents, leading to self-harm and financial devastation.
Spanish police have arrested a 43-year-old Pakistani man in connection with the killing of three siblings in their 70s, reportedly over debts linked to an online romance scam. The suspect had previously attacked one of the sisters and had lent them at least $55,000, which they had never repaid. The tragedy is believed to be linked to a fake online love affair, where the sisters were led to believe they would receive a multi-million-dollar inheritance. Romance scams are not uncommon, with recent cases in the U.S. involving swindling victims out of large sums of money.
A woman from Kentucky claims she was catfished and scammed out of $10k by someone pretending to be Dacre Montgomery, known for his role in "Stranger Things." The woman divorced her husband after the fake actor told her to choose between him and her spouse. Despite the real Dacre Montgomery being in a relationship since 2017, the woman believed the imposter's story and sent money through gift cards, crypto, and payment apps. This incident highlights the dangers of romance scams, where scammers exploit emotional vulnerability to gain trust and manipulate victims into sending money.
Peaches Stergo, a Florida woman, has been sentenced to over four years in prison for swindling over $2.8 million from an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor in a "romance scam" that lasted for years. Stergo met the victim on a dating website and fabricated stories to convince him to send money, including claiming she needed funds from a legal settlement. She also sent heartless text messages mocking the victim's love for her. Stergo will forfeit her home and luxury items and has been ordered to pay restitution. The FBI warns that romance scams are on the rise, with losses totaling nearly $1 billion in 2021 alone.
Peaches Stergo, a Florida woman, has been sentenced to over four years in prison for stealing nearly $3 million from an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor. Stergo posed as a love interest and convinced the victim to write 62 checks totaling over $2.8 million, leaving him broke. She used the money to live a life of luxury, traveling and buying expensive items. Stergo pleaded guilty to wire fraud and will also face a $2.8 million restitution and forfeiture order. The judge described her actions as "unspeakably cruel" and motivated by greed.
A divorced mother of three lost over $100,000 to a scammer she met on Tinder who convinced her to invest in bogus cryptocurrency schemes. The scam, known as "pig butchering," involves building a fake romantic relationship with the victim before providing fraudulent investment advice. The con is reportedly exploding across the US and Australia, with victims losing up to $850,000. The scam is often run by criminal syndicates in Cambodia, and victims are given scripts tailored to their individual circumstances.
Ghanaian influencer Mona Faiz Montrage, known as Hajia4Reall, has been charged with six counts of fraud and money laundering in connection with a series of romance scams that targeted vulnerable, older Americans. The scams were allegedly carried out by a criminal enterprise based in West Africa, of which Montrage was a member. She was arrested in the UK in November 2022 and extradited to the US in May 2023. Montrage is accused of receiving over $2 million in fraudulent funds from the enterprise.