Arizona romance scam victim shares her story
Romance scams are affecting more and more Americans, and FOX 10’s Steve Nielsen spoke with one Arizonan who fell victim to such a scheme to defraud people of their money.
What are romance scams?
PHOENIX – According to the FBI, a romance scam happens when a criminal “adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust.”
“The scammer’s intention is to establish a relationship as quickly as possible, endear himself to the victim, and gain trust. Scammers may propose marriage and make plans to meet in person, but that will never happen. Eventually, they will ask for money,” read a portion of the FBI’s website.
Officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also say some scammers are taking cryptocurrency from their victims, with a total of $12 million worth of cryptocurrency being taken from older adults in 2020.
Are romance scam victims mostly the elderly?
FBI officials said while older adults are especially at risk, romance scams can happen to people of all ages.
In a separate statement from the Federal Trade Commission, it was reported that the number of romance scam reports involving victims ages 18 to 29 increases more than tenfold from 2017 to 2021.
Victim speaks out
On Dec. 12, we spoke with one person who was victimized by a romance scammer.
The victim, identified only as ‘Connie,’ reached out to us, wanting to share her story. She said besides financial loss, the incident left her heart…
