ATLANTA — A Valentine’s Day warning about fraudsters looking to empty your elderly loved one’s retirement. It’s a dark side of romance that can ruin lives and leave victims heartbroken.
Scrolling social media can be an enjoyable way to connect with the world, but it can also be a gateway to heartbreak and financial ruin.
Channel 2 Action News spoke to the daughter of one woman who maxed out her credit cards by buying gift cards for what turned out to be a romance scam.
Her mother lost almost everything after she sparked an online relationship with someone who claimed to be the face of SpaceX and Tesla, Elon Musk.
“They hear that voice. They hear Elon Musk’s voice, and they know it’s his voice. Her credit cards are maxed out and she bought gift cards on all of her credit cards,” the woman’s daughter said.
First there were wire transfers. Huge amounts of money going out, with at least one topping $100,000. It was money her mother believed she was investing with daily ATM withdrawals of $3,000.
“She lost a total of $600,000, from what I can tell. I know that her credit cards are maxed out and she bought gift cards on all of her credit cards,” the woman’s daughter said.
Unfortunately, it’s not a unique story. Christopher Maxwell is a reformed scammer.
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Maxwell is from Nigeria and now works with social catfish and online dating investigation services to help educate people.
For him, romance scams were the easiest. He used popular social media platforms and looked for older women, often divorced, who he believed were more vulnerable.
“They’ve been through a lot in the past, and they just want someone that is going to spend the rest of their life with them,” Maxwell said.
Posing as a soldier or a celebrity, he would make women fall in love with him and start extracting their money.
“I have seen texts on her phone that say, ‘Hey, baby, how are you? What are you doing tonight, baby?’” the woman’s daughter said.
“You may have entered into the dating scene or a dating app looking for love, but scammers are out there looking for their next victim,” Maxwell warned.
Better Business Bureau president Holly Salmons said in these scams of the heart, the bad guys work to gain their victims' trust then work to get their money.
Here are some red flags:
- The relationship moves fast
- You never meet in person
- The love interest claims to be a known celebrity
- They ask for money or try to draw you into an investment, like cryptocurrency.
“Especially if this is not why you came to the dating app, right? Most people did not come to a dating app for investment advice,” Salmons said.
As for the woman who did not want to be identified, she wants her mother’s story to serve as a warning for everyone.
“It’s like you want to walk out of her house and scream or cry. It’s so frustrating,” the daughter said.
If you fall victim to a romance scam, make sure to contact the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission right away to file a complaint.
Also, make sure you report it to the social media companies.
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