Bay Area woman loses $350,000 life savings to cryptocurrency romance scam in 2022

Summary

A 70-year-old woman from Pleasant Hill, California, lost $350,000 in a cryptocurrency scam in March 2022 after being convinced by an online suspect to invest her life savings. Authorities, led by Detective Stephen Vuong, tracked the stolen cryptocurrency and, with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service, located the funds in an online digital wallet. The wallet remained inactive until September 2025, at which point Vuong froze and seized the funds. The money was returned to the victim and her family on December 30, 2025. Police emphasized the importance of being cautious with online financial services and protecting personal information.