Romance scammers are becoming more sinister than ever before, FBI warns of new tactics

Romance scams are becoming more sophisticated than ever before. It's happening from coast to coast, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey have some of the worst numbers. Investigative reporter Liz Crawford took a deep dive into the threat of romance scams in the Philadelphia area.
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[@jirensan828]

Any person who claims to be a fulltime working professional and yet can chat with you for hours on end everyday should raise a red flag.

[@isay207]

And can't facetime

[@carolinemarchand4743]

my scammer was no spending much time chatting, he did so like a busy professional would, consistently but a short while every day

[@mikemiller659]

Because they are texting to Several people at the same time

[@levelintent]

🤣

[@illogik]

It kinda goes both ways. If you got time to talk to them all day are you really who you say you are?

[@nateh3441]

It's OK to be single people. Save you a LOT of unnecessary drama.

[@sky-pv7ff]

You have people who are afraid of being alone.

[@ashd.6989]

You can find love- you just have to be realistic in what your value is. Even the woman in the video was 'dating' someone out of her league

[@runoz2839]

THAT RIGHT THERE !!! TY, TELL EM'...

[@OkayMaybe-vq4yr]

Rather be alone any day.

[@thystaff742]

Romance no longer works in western society. Women are feminists and driven by greed.

[@MegTelevised]

Cmon girl…if they start talking about money…RUN

[@christopherwilliams7113]

STOP GIVING MONEY TO PEOPLE YOU HAVEN’T MET !

[@fedvvvv]

It's astonishing that we have to say this to adults. I'm baffled.

[@elainecongo3827]

EVEN IF YOU MEET THEM DON'T GIVE THEM MONEY....I GO FROM ZERO TO A HUNDRED WHEN A MAN ASK ME FOR MONEY AUTOMATICALLY I THINK HE'S TRYING TO WORK ME.....

[@MissTopDJ007]

​@@elainecongo3827exactly. If anyone ever had to give money, make them ask their family. If they did and the family is in on it, tell them you are meeting the lawyer and require finger prints and photo.

[@joannegibson-lucas3791]

I'd rather be alone and have money than be poor and in a fake relationship.

[@EISHANELI]

single with freedom and happiness then to be in a fake relationship to keep up an image + not be with someone who really loves me when things go awry. 💖💖💖

[@stevenrunyon170]

Don't call them scammers. Call them thieves and charge them with felonies and sent them to prison.

[@isay207]

They're in Nigeria India

[@Mr.Boring_Man]

This wasn't theft. Nothing was stolen. She could've said "No.". Pricey lesson to learn.

[@Wileyg4lify]

That’s a great idea no matter where they are

[@MartynCollins]

The lady doth protest too much, methinks

[@dorenewhitacre1908]

They could be anywhere like Russia or Europe or even here but they hide their tracks and escape with your money!

[@mwebb999]

The woman in the story showed a lot of courage talking about publicly. She did it purely to stop others from falling from the same type of scam.

[@BB-mq9qk]

But it’s so COMMON! When are people going to freaking learn Jesus!

[@Roses_777]

And we appreciate that! Makes me continue avoiding online dating

[@alsmith9853]

But she doesn't need to, it's an old scam, and very obvious. Really surprised she NEVER heard of it

[@laurahykes9206]

WOMEN, WAKE UP!!! Never give money to anyone, especially people you never met. SCAMMERS are everywhere!!!

[@Ann-sf6od]

Even $10 ! If they ask for $$ run!!!

[@slapshot68]

N it’s only going to get worse

[@baruchben-david4196]

Not just women. I've had several scammers try to work me.

[@arthurbb8937]

@@baruchben-david4196 yep. Beautiful fake girls who desperately need your help are everywhere. Fake pictures and a nice voice. A princess who only needs 10k to escape the Ukraine with her 100M dollars to share with you and get married.

[@itsgreat7150]

Men get scammed by women all the time and no one feels sorry for them. They’re just called men suckers. But everyone feels sorry for women, I wonder why?

[@Alexis_005]

I’m not letting you borrow money even if I know you.

[@seviregis7441]

These scammers are targeting people who are either lonely, widowed, super busy, or unattractive knowing those will be most vulnerable.

[@M_SC]

@@AndiAndreanot this kind but there is some way you are vulnerable and I hope you aren’t exploited and then insulted for it

[@M_SC]

Or just an age group, I hit a certain age group and clearly got on some list on fb of romance scammers. It didn’t work the slightest bit on me but I saw they had assumed certain things that would be tempting to others. Well i guess I’m ugly too lol.

[@warrenas79]

This comment is why ppl are so easily played 😭

[@axiomaddict]

Maybe none of those things, but heterosexual, single and gullible. Obviously, we lesbians and gays are not exempt, just less targeted.

[@M-yb1cc]

@@axiomaddict In general they are going for lonely and desperate people, but you're right in that they are probably targeting same-sex attracted people less because they're a smaller target

[@lindaslattery8341]

STAY OFF OF DATING APPS!!!!

[@muffycrosswire]

dating apps are fine. just say you want locals only.

[@lah1667]

I've heard that most of the people on dating apps are narcicists looking for supply

[@itismoi4355]

The money we earned is through hard work, sweat and tears. Don’t hand it over so easily to someone you never meet in person.

[@mildredpierce4506]

I wouldn’t give it to them if I did meet them in person.

[@sharonmckay2886]

People losing their common sense.

[@miryamamar9471]

Sadly, most of these widows inherited the money.

[@celestialstarchild]

Damn, not even a Phd holder is intelligent enough to realize what’s happening. DO NOT GIVE MONEY TO STRANGERS

[@AFAskygoddess]

I think a PhD holder is easier to scam than a working-class person who only has a high school diploma. The latter needs more street smarts to survive. Many PhDs I know are quite fully of themselves and couldn't entertain the idea that a 20 year old Nigerian man could fool them. I just don't think most would come forward publicly to admit it.

[@devilmaycry9969]

@@AFAskygoddess because the working class has no money to give… 😭 most don’t have student loans but are living paycheck to paycheck.

[@josephinebournes8212]

Many PhDs aren't worth the paper they're printed on.

[@GoGoWhoa64]

I'm so glad I'm an introverted loner.

[@marieslabbert6009]

Be careful when you meet somebody real or via the internet, giving you a lot of his/her time, flatters you and make you laugh and feel valued. Not all are like that, but the wolves are clever nowadays.

[@Liz-wz8dh]

@@marieslabbert6009 Yes they are. Malignant narcissists, some of them. All they do is exploit and abuse people so they're experts at it.

[@M-yb1cc]

I mean you don't have to live in seclusion, just don't be dumb and desperate

[@GoGoWhoa64]

@M-yb1cc I don't. I've been with my husband for over 40 yrs. But if I were alone I wouldn't be going to a dating site.

[@arthurbb8937]

Me too.

[@AFAskygoddess]

Let me get this straight. This woman has a PhD. She only TEXTS with a stranger she met online for HOURS each day...because he can't get a good voice call connection. She has a big student loan. She gives a stranger her money to invest to help pay off her student loan. She gets scammed out of all her money by a man who never existed. SHE NEEDS TO GET HER MONEY BACK FROM THE COLLEGE WHO GAVE HER A PhD. That's the real scam!!!!

[@Readyplayer8]

😂😅

[@Childfree334]

To be fair, street smarts and book smarts are two entirely different things.

[@JewelsRoyale]

It sounds so obvious from the outside looking in but when you’re in the situation it’s completely different.

[@AFAskygoddess]

@@JewelsRoyale , in this particular situation, I respectfully disagree with you. A blind, deaf person with two functional brain cells and situational awareness would see through this scam. When it sounds too good to be true, 99.99999% of the time, it is. You don't need a PhD to know that.

[@gwene.9912]

I agree… I’m glad I’m cut differently. I had many people try to get me slick talk me, it don’t work.

[@ericb8413]

Sad how common sense goes out the window when emotions are involved. It’s the human condition. 😢

[@RebeccaSurber-vw5wi]

Only idiots

[@Omar_Zazzle]

Get a dog and forget it.

[@JohnnytNatural]

Along with greed, hook line and sinker nothing like a successful millionaire to help build your portfolio

[@M_SC]

The human connection is sad? What are you saying?

[@brandonmaryland]

@@Omar_Zazzle apparently 😂😂

[@ILovePlayingZeldaGamesOnSwitch]

Isn't it when we were young, we are always reminded to not talk to strangers?

[@seadragon1456]

Not these days. Now we’re encouraged to ride in strangers vehicles and book personal homes for vacation.

[@jaystarks2835]

I'm not going to say what I really should say. But common sense is not that common.

[@user-mz8qd5rd9q]

I can't tell you how many scammers have tried to hit me up. If a man asks you for money, uh nope!

[@mmhthree]

They pose as women too...

[@slapshot68]

It’s goin to get worse with the world we live in

[@AI_Taylor]

I left my date when SHE asked for me to pay everything

[@Childfree334]

​@@AI_TaylorYour date dodged a bullet.

[@AI_Taylor]

@@Childfree334 haha she dodged a smart mult millionaire

[@MeAndMyPc]

Imagine spending $150.000 on someone you’ve texted with for only 3 months and have never met or facetimed with, and going as far as taking on a loan for that. Loneliness and despair are truly scary.

[@tylagarcia4091]

I can’t believe people are that lonely that they are still falling for online romance after hearing all of the horrible stories.

[@ADHDpancakesurprise]

These scams literally never change. "Hey there. I'm a single, successful, utterly gorgeous rich man and I'm interested in YOU!" "Me? Really? Teehee!" "Have you heard of crypto?" "No, I can get rich?" "Heck yeah! Also? I love you. Let's get married." "I've known you for two weeks. This must be legit! Here's a bunch of money. Yay! I'll be rich! And married! Whee!" Literally the exact same thing every time.

[@JohnnytNatural]

Yes but if you go up to them in person they won't give you the time of day, only when the relationship is a fantasy that they fall for it

[@dennykeaton9701]

@@JohnnytNatural Exactly

[@mmhthree]

@@JohnnytNatural So true!! Ya, go up to them in person and they start yelling and calling for the cops. LOL

[@M-yb1cc]

Yep, these men will either be married at that age and/or after a trophy wife/arm candy 20+ years younger

[@Alexis_005]

Old men fall for the, “ I’m a young gorgeous woman interested in YOU decrepit old man because I like you for who YOU are, and not the amount of money in your bank account “ 😂

[@leigh3069]

Don't talk to anyone for hours a day

[@cheetabis]

the moment someone asks money from you for any reason is a total scam!

[@simonscowled9925]

3 months is waaaaay too long to not meet someone, the faster the better, just meet in a public place for safety.

[@dlight9849]

Really? Giving money to someone you've never met in person 😬

[@rangerannie5636]

These scammers are so good at love bombing that people feel they actually do know their love interest (the scammer). It's kind of hard for me to wrap my head around it too, but that's how it happens.

[@U-TubeAddict]

They target people who are already emotionally vulnerable and lonely. It’s hard to imagine but think about people who unknowingly fall into a cult. It happens! For these individuals, they found someone who “finally adores them and are interested in them” and love truly is blind.

[@JohnnytNatural]

3 months for 150k. That's quite the return 😂

[@JA-qt4qk]

Clearly you haven't discovered Catfished. It's a KZbin channel where truly crazy people believe they've fallen in love with a supermodel or a celebrity. Some people think they are even dating "Johnny Depp". Others think their European millionaire who owns a helicopter needs money to get out of the hospital, or that the shipping company holding the safe of gold bars that their Army Doctor Surgeon needs $10K to release it. Ask a woman if she has eaten every day for a month and she will send you her life savings.

[@JA-qt4qk]

Have you eaten today?

[@CordeliaWagner1999]

That's why it's better to work on your happyness. You don't need a romantic relationship for that.

[@muffycrosswire]

wanting a romantic relationship doesnt always mean youre sad..

[@L32C-yg9hm]

It means you're inadequate

[@malibunewport]

Tell everyone you are broke and see if they stick around!!!! Never give money to someone you are dating.

[@misssupreme]

Man, we really need to address the gullibility factor. No one ever talks about that! These people who aren’t elderly people, how are you falling for a text based romance scam?!

[@mesmerizing9876]

I know a woman in her 50s who gave a cuban in his 30s so much money without hesitation. It’s crazy what low self esteem does to people

[@brandonmaryland]

This is crazy how are ppl still getting scammed in 2024?🤔 And their getting scammed for a lot of money 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@M_SC]

How can you not know the difference between there their and they’re in 2024?

[@daveclark8337]

There's a sucker born every minute

[@alsmith9853]

​@@M_SClol savage😂

[@mickeyhead9770]

I hate to be mean but I have to ask - Ladies if the guy is up there in looks and wealth, ask yourself why would he be interested in you? Especially if you are not attractive?

[@3namechangezalowdevry90day7]

Usually the ones targeting women use stolen pics about their victim's same age. It's the ones targeting old men that use bikini models!

[@Alexis_005]

I think men should be asking that question more often since you see A LOT of old men hitting on young women and expecting them to love them for who they are and not their money. The delusion is strong with old men im willing to bet they get scam at a higher rate

[@3namechangezalowdevry90day7]

Usually the female victims get scammed with stolen photos of a man around their age, not a twenty year old, like the males do.

[@Jennifer_Lewis_Beach_Living]

⁠@@Alexis_005Men actually fall for romance scams more than women, but the reason why we see more female victims in stories is a lot of male victims are too embarrassed to publicly come forward and admit that they got scammed, while female victims are willing to tell their story as a cautionary tale to help others.

[@3namechangezalowdevry90day7]

It's the MALES that are getting catfished by 20 year olds.

[@thankthelord4536]

I scrutinize everyone and everything.

[@ChicagoBeaver]

One beautiful gal fell in love with me after just chatting a few times. It was on an over 50 dating site. She was in Dubai and made 40 grand in gold and jewelry but her bank tied her money up and needed a loan til she got to where I was, in Portland Oregon. Then we were going to live happily ever after. I thought maybe, yeah, I'll send her 50 or 60 bucks. Nope. She wanted $2000 and I told her to goodbye. She tried to scam me for 2 grand!

[@virg0_lem0nade]

hahahahhaa dude that was a 15 year old boy in Africa sending you those messages 😂😂🤣🤣

[@nancyenkelmann4552]

@@virg0_lem0nade Still smart enough not to get scammed Sparky.

[@marieslabbert6009]

Good for you! Your common sense won over your ego. A rarity nowadays.

[@lindaslattery8341]

She didn’t fall in love with you 🤣

[@jusletursoulglobaby]

lol she had that $50 tho

[@MM-xc2bt]

She has a PHD, but no common sense

[@mildredpierce4506]

Anyone should be suspect of somebody who has hours a day to spend with you when they supposed to be working

[@Socivol]

I want to feel bad for her but I can't. I wouldn't even give my best friend 150k. You never met or spoke to this man but you thought it was appropriate to send him all that money? Make it make sense.

[@archipiratta]

Poor Karina. Loneliness can be such a vulnerable position

[@sORrYiMLaTEwHAtdiDiMiSs.]

Exactly. If she had options she wouldn't have fell so hard for him.

[@fuffoon]

I met a woman online and she's been scamming me for 15 years now. 😊

[@frala2398]

Your happily ever after?

[@LesserMe]

Marriage doesn't count. 😅

[@marieslabbert6009]

So, you guys are married! 😂😂😂😂😂

[@clarkclarke]

Kinda insensitive and really not funny

[@westbccoast]

Marriage fraud, I hear you, it's all a scam. Literally everything we do is someone is trying to get our money, this is no different, they just nicer about it.

[@TKOin2life]

Ain't no way. Please don't be this desperate.😊

[@ArturoBarcena]

If it involves money, then its a red flags.

[@carolinemarchand4743]

I don't know if the FBI takes it seriously, but I 'felt' for one recently. He was smart: no love bombing, no asking for money (I realised it was a scam before he did ask), his pictures were stolen but from someone he had scammed before so they were private and not appearing on the internet with a basic reverse search... So I reported him to the FBI, with the phone number, pictures used, his location (that I managed to track down...) and nothing, I heard nothing from them! I also tracked down the person whose pictures were used, because I suspected he was being scammed by the same group and wanted to warn him...

[@stinew358]

If you're dating online, chat for a day or two max but then meet in a public place for a full meal and a social activity (such as a museum or just a coffee and a conversation) *within* the same week. If they can't meet you within 2 weeks, stop all contact with them until they can meet you in person. You want to keep your emotional distance. If they cancel last minute or delay, block them. If they ask for money, report them. Do not pay for your date and don't let your date pay for you. If you like them, meet again. Look for signs that they are trying to hide their identity. It's ok to trust people, but verify what they say.

[@JamieSativa]

Sounds like a person that has nothing going on but transactional dating.

[@kalel311superman9]

if someone you have never met asks you for money it is a scam, i was chatting with some girl on instagram a while back and when she asked me for money i cut her off

[@GNX157]

I’m so unlucky at the online thing that I can’t even get the scammers interested.

[@nothingworksworks3511]

The addiction starts when the marks text all day every day. The hooked person will do anything to keep the love heroin flowing

[@victoriahardin1560]

I thought the whole point of dating was to have someone for companionship. How are you have a relationship, companionship with someone by text and email?

[@4my2kids79]

I’m so broke they will stop talking to me. I don’t have any money to give them

[@mildredpierce4506]

They will tell you to borrow money. They will tell you to sell your car. That’s how evil they are.

[@elainecongo3827]

LOL!

[@elainecongo3827]

@@mildredpierce4506 I STILL CAN'T SEE HOW THESE WOMEN BORROW MONEY OR SELL THINGS TO GIVE TO A MAN....MAKE IT MAKE SENSE...IT'S CRAZY

[@wittymystic7361]

@@mildredpierce4506 I don't have a car. And if their deal is so great, then THEY can spot me the loan.

[@RedBlack1707]

Grandma taught me… Never sale yourself at the low price of desperation 😉

[@chad5893]

Sorry, you talk to a guy for 3 months via text and you send him $150K, man...I don't even know what to say.

[@ChubbyUnicorn]

She's very brave to share her story to help others. I'm happy the FBI has a whole department trying yo stop these theives.

[@ev500sam]

I have done an image search of potential suitor, and it was a stolen image of business owner in New Zealand. If it's to good to be true, then it's probably not. Plus the suryppy honey, baby, gorgeous sorta turned my stomach.

[@U-TubeAddict]

I always get these fake profiles trying to add me on LinkedIn of all places. I’m Vietnamese so there’s always some guy from Asia who looks like a model and has some high end job or career aspirations within the field similar to mine. There’s at least one trying to friend me every week but I’m pretty sure it’s the same group of people. I’m considering deleting my online presence and everything altogether because these creepy scammers really be stalking you but I need my profile for work related reasons 😞 .

[@Milly_in_denmark]

They can teach them all they want. As long as people don’t use common sense the scammers will continue. This is talked about so many times but still people fall for it.There is no way am sending my hard worked money to anyone I have never met. Very sad.

[@polycarp9897]

The message needs to be continuously put out there. The people who fall for these scams haven't heard the teachings. I doubt that anyone who knows the standard scammer script would fall for it.

[@Milly_in_denmark]

@@polycarp9897 oh yes they would. Would you sell your home for someone you have never met? Or even talked to on video? Dr Phil had several ladies on his show where they refused to listen to their families and some even refused to listen to him until they went broke and no man came to them. But ok

[@laurar9748]

So many red flags. 🚩🚩🚩

[@Sam-gv6lo]

I cant believe people still falling for this scam

[@lilacbirman]

So terrible! That said, I wouldn't trust anyone I haven't actually met in person. Scammers gonna get their evil karma.

[@westbccoast]

Or in person, but especially people you haven't met

[@Liz-wz8dh]

You gotta be careful meeting them in person as well. Some of these people pretend to have been in the military, where you can't really research their background. Not everything comes up on a background check either.

[@alsmith9853]

I don't trust 90 percent of humanity

[@KS-kr4ok]

OMG, NEVER EVER take money out of your 401 or any savings you have. Once the conversations go to money, they are not the love of your life, they are your scammer. You are not different, you are not the love of their life. You are their mark for another stupid person.

[@pennytrue2741]

People need to be smart. You can’t just listen to anyone new you meet telling you to put money somewhere. Some of the scams people fall for are just so obvious.

[@TBrl8]

Greed, and stupidity, a tough combination.

[@sierravista9013]

They are not your friend no matter what The say.

[@danfulton8592]

The victim shaming in these comments are just awful and cruel… If you actually listen to what is being said instead of just judging blindly, you’d realize that she isn’t handing over her bank account and ssn to the guy. These scammers are a part of a large 24/7 operation (many times themselves being victims of the organized crime leaders) that enable them to play the long game on many victims simultaneously. They don’t do the old “can you wire me some money to help me out?” anymore; instead, they gain trust and then manipulate ways to get people to enroll in what they think is an actual crypto or non-crypto investment platform that looks and feels like the real thing. They then make it seem real with simulated gains and losses until they pull the plug… anyone could fall victim to this - please stop the blind judgement and cruelty… what exactly are you gaining from the cruelty? You’re just helping the wrong side by doing that…

[@Childfree334]

I agree with everything you said except for "anyone could fall for this." Not true. There are actually people in the world who are too smart to be scammed.

[@Roses_777]

And my friends always wonder why i dont do Online Dating? I'd RATHER deal with the fakes i encouter face to face...

[@frankwhite3659]

Meeting people in public is not an extinct exercise folks.

[@Childfree334]

Best to meet online first and feel each other out before meeting in person. Besides, millions of women have been abused and killed by men they met the "old fashioned" way.

[@frankwhite3659]

@@Childfree334 People could send you anybody's foto and say it's them,at least you know how the person looks and sounds when you meet them outside.

[@Childfree334]

@frankwhite3659 NO Sir. I am NOT meeting anyone I have not talked to via video chat/FaceTime. Meeting online first is the buffer so we feel comfortable before meeting in real life. If a man will not agree to a virtual meeting first, there will be no real-life date. I stay safe that way.

[@donnahilton471]

Everyone who contacts you is a scammer. Regular people wont chase you like they do!

[@lindap8535]

Seriously? Someone has to be desperately lonely to send money to a person they've never met in person or FaceTimed or Skype chat.

[@Cathy-kk6lo]

I don't get it, I love my money to much to hand it over to ANYONE!!!

[@mildredpierce4506]

You and me both. I cannot see myself giving away my life savings to anyone even someone I have met in person. It is my money that I worked for and you can’t have it.

[@rebeccaoprea9917]

They prey on the weak.

[@danram247]

I will never understand how people can lend money to people they never met in person...no matter how beautiful and no matter how many things you have in common with them i would never give a stranger online money...

[@hyacinththompson6089]

Hard to feel sorry for these “victims”!!! Just don’t make sense!!!

[@mildredpierce4506]

The scammers referred to these people as clients.

[@HildaRealtor]

the second anyone ask for money, or investment opportunity, it is a red flag

[@mikemiller659]

Crazy..Never talked to him ONCE.

[@ziggywalsh5562]

Greed/financial gain seems to be a part of the "romance" in most cases. The "victims" very often believe they are going to get free money in these cases. In more than half of the cases, the "victims" like to claim that the romance bit is what motivated them, while it seems to me, that the "victim's" own greed is very often the biggest problem.

[@schawnettarobinson8584]

I’m so glad: I’m so busy and stressed. I don’t have time to be online for romance. No one cares about me so I wouldn’t fall for this.

[@nathaliapunch7954]

This is horrendous that this continues to happen! If you can’t FaceTime within a week of meeting this person red flag 🚩 If they are boasting about how much money they have, but are requesting you send them money red flag 🚩 They always have an excuse for not meeting and communicating from strange numbers, especially via WhatsApp and random messaging apps red flag 🚩 If they are telling you they are in love with you within a week🚩 Continue to share this information with the elderly and the lonely !!!

[@beautybliss7127]

👍

[@Rene-cn4jc]

Scammers have become better than before.Sometimes they are real people and they are seen…some even meet the victim in person. Then they find a reason to tell the individual they need to leave the country for a while and then scam start.

[@nathaliapunch7954]

@@Rene-cn4jc The whole thing is terrible! Discernment is key. And always remember wealthy people don’t need your money for a thing.

[@slapshot68]

With inflation out of control, it will get even worse

[@sarawashington5485]

WELL SAID👏👏👏👏👏

[@valevisa8429]

She had a PHD,but she didn't have common sense like so many Americans.

[@samanthalake5011]

I have a high school degree lol and I know better. 😜

[@keith-kb1zl]

Sadly, an advanced education can work against some of these so-called intellectuals,they think they’re above being duped because they have a “degree” oftentimes they will start communicating with someone online,who , to their friends, screams scammer, but their arrogance and ego will not allow them to admit that someone not as educated as them could be right and they could be wrong 😂😂I’ve met a lot of highly educated people in my lifetime that look down on people who didn’t have college educations. sadly, a lot of these “intellectuals “ lack basic common sense.😂😂

[@alexlakhman8516]

If they don't want to meet, block right away.

[@brodriguez4687]

You are a hero thanks for trying to help others thru your pain God bless you

[@beabeajordan2545]

I bet there were red flags,but when you're lonely, you ignore them for fear of being alone.

[@marieslabbert6009]

My heart aches for these people whose lives are destroyed by these monsters. Not only do they lose sometimes all their money, but their trust in other people as well. 😢

[@heyletitgo]

Ladies and gentlemen please go get a cat dog parrot any animal to keep u company. No online dating please

[@CordeliaWagner1999]

Don't get a pet, learn to be with yourself and how to build strong lasting friendships

[@Childfree334]

It's not like dating the old fashioned way is any better.

[@junkboxxxxxx]

Her mind was on the money, not the romance... This was an online chat buddy

[@WallyTony]

I lost over 30k thinking I was talking to my health insurance. Couldn't honestly tell it was a scam since the legit people even use Indian call centers.

[@Childfree334]

What was the $30K for? A deductible?

[@mikew.to1]

These scams always have a greed factor. Most scammed skip over that part. But there's always a bait of a high value man and a distorted self worth of the victim. In some ways, these scams are scamming a scammer on their own turf. The reality is that a high value man isn't fishing for relationships on dating apps. That should have been the first alarm bell that went off in her mind. The second is a high value man has no need of the victim's money regardless of the story they spin.

[@AFAskygoddess]

I agree with 95% of what you said. There are still quality men on dating apps. The problem is that today, there are 10,000 times more scammers on the sites than in years past. I met a wealthy, famous doctor on dating app. We met up the first week. I dated a local politician, a race car driver, etc. Many women meet great men online. I know several. They'll just smart enough NOT to send money and see the red flags right away.

[@mikew.to1]

@@AFAskygoddess You only agree that someone wanting to have a relationship for the purpose of taking their money, only applies to 'others' and not yourself. These scammers see it as turn around is fair play.

[@mikew.to1]

​@@AFAskygoddess It's your own words that you have dated many wealthy men but have to be on guard if someone does the same to you. It's your words not mine. Look at these women who get scammed, they are not doctors, lawyers, they are just looking to 'upgrade' or add to what ever wealth they have. They are simply greedy and get scammed by a year long word salad just the same game they would play. The warning signs apply equally just not the same.

[@AFAskygoddess]

My first response was correcting your statement... and I quote...."a high value man isn't fishing for relationships on dating apps". Wrong. Some are. Maybe we are defining "fishing" differently. I read it as in the dating site Plenty of Fish, where I assure you that two millionaires I personally know did meet and marry because of that site. Perhaps you should have said "catfishing" instead of " fishing". Words are important.

[@imoveritalready9388]

When you engage in greed, you get taken by greed.

[@mildredpierce4506]

Exactly

[@user-zl4rr1ic7w]

She wanted to get rid of debt.

[@mileva3723]

Lady why do you think he will be in love with you , you are a 5 !!! He is definitely a scammer.

[@nadagabri5783]

A quick simple Google search using photo image would’ve shown her where the photos were from.

[@MrBrewman95]

Not always. They can have their own "models" to upload so they can't reverse image search.

[@annaclaire9927]

So sorry you have been through this. I hope your future is happy.

[@digitatissue8502]

I don’t understand why someone in a “romance” wouldn’t meet that person in person within a couple weeks.

[@GingerCC-he8be]

It is sad how many painfully lonely people there are in the USA, because romance scams happen more here than other countries.

[@burymebelowawillowtree9243]

Exactly! I imagine this lady is educated, well mannered and probably very good at her job. Perhaps very well knows how to keep her distance from coworkers and not talking about her private life. And here she lets her guard down online and gets taken advantage of.

[@plumeria66]

Because in other countries most old people live with their families and are socializing and not lonely, not online looking for love.

[@GingerCC-he8be]

@@plumeria66 you are correct. However, I lived in Italy for 3 years on my own, but never lonely because the wonderful Italian people simply will not allow it, even if you are a stranger.

[@M-yb1cc]

@@GingerCC-he8be My Nonna says in Italy people will cross the street to avoid you unless you have the latest designer clothes? And you can't get jobs, hence why she moved here to Aus ~55 years ago

[@GingerCC-he8be]

@@M-yb1cc Have you traveled to Italy? If not yet, one day soon I hope for you.

[@RainRemnant]

Romance scammers, WhatsApp job offer scammers, Sim card scammers, phone call scammers, tech support scammers... gotta love the digital era

[@redfootedbear]

I would be so wary and turned off if someone wanted money that I had never met or if they couldn’t FaceTime or talk on the phone lol….

[@lynnec6325]

Thanks for sharing this story. We all can be vulnerable at times. Just tell a friend. Confide in someone. Scammers hate light being shed on their scam. Tell a friend before you share ANY financial info or money.

[@deniseturner3892]

Ladies there is so many other things you can do besides dating and giving money to some stranger, like take up classic dancing, play bingo, join a group, there are so many things to take up your time and keep you busy that you may find a person who really care for you. So stop this crap falling for romance scams as soon as they ask for money say your broke and you need money then see what they do.

[@DJRenee]

Loneliness must be hell. Y'all can pay me for a friend 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@davidbrooks8809]

So you sent money to a man that you never met come on people😂

[@pauljudd9825]

the problem is with the victim period

[@mildredpierce4506]

Romance scams are 100% preventable. If people stop sending the money, they won’t be scammed. If they were use a little logic, they won’t be scammed.

[@pauljudd9825]

@@mildredpierce4506 The problem is in the "heads" of the desperate lovesick victims

[@nicolemonrue]

I had a guy ask me to pay for his Uber, and I ended the conversation right then and there

[@viewer0ne]

He couldn’t talk on the phone because his accent from whichever country he was scamming from would’ve been detected.

[@joejennings1]

And this woman has a PHD, unbelievable!

[@ggcatbelladogantics2959]

Love can make anyone lose a little common sense.

[@M-yb1cc]

@@ggcatbelladogantics2959 *Desperation

[@user-hx7mi7ml8u]

Just because one has a high degree in a certain field, doesn’t mean they are “smart” about everything in life and won’t fail in any way. I think you are very ignorant, unrealistic, and especially arrogant to believe otherwise. My sister has a PHD and was involved in a relationship where she was abused and put up with it for years, she became an alcoholic for a while because of it. Why wasn’t she smart enough to know better because of her PHD? So, according to you, people with PHD’s should never make dumb decisions and lead a perfect life? Solomon, in the Bible, was the wisest man ever, but still made many mistakes because his “flesh” overruled his “wisdom.” How could that happen to someone so smart?! 😐

[@LluviadeOrugas]

I’ve noticed over the years that the most educated people in my life are the ones with the least common sense. It’s quite baffling to say the least!

[@Childfree334]

Book smart does not equal street smart. Never has.

[@mildredpierce4506]

She’s in her 40s, which means she was born in the 80s. Proof that not only baby boomers fall for these romance scammers.

[@ilsedemolder3973]

Baby boomers are from 1945 to 1963. She is an older Millenial.