Woman loses life savings and accumulates $65,000 in debt after scammer contacts her through Fitbit exercise app

Summary

Karen, a US woman, was targeted by a romance scammer who contacted her via the Fitbit exercise app on January 1, 2020. The scammer, posing as 'Charles Hillary,' an American contractor working in Ireland, quickly moved their conversations to Google Hangouts to reduce traceability. Over the following months, he ran a classic 'box scam,' convincing Karen that packages of money and valuables were being held at customs and required fees to release. By the end of 2020 Karen owed approximately $65,000 through personal loans, cash advances, and credit cards. The scammer subsequently deployed a second, more supportive persona alongside ongoing threats — including threatening to disrupt her son's wedding. The scam continued for years, with the perpetrator still sending emails as of the article's publication.