60-year-old woman loses thousands to romance scammers impersonating influencers and K-Pop stars on dating apps

Summary

A woman in her early 60s has fallen victim to multiple online romance scams since late October of the previous year, involving scammers impersonating influencers and K-Pop stars. The victim has sent thousands of dollars in gift cards, crypto payments, and bank transfers to these scammers. Her daughter discovered the scams through access to her mother’s emails and bank accounts and attempted to intervene after the first scam, but the mother denied being scammed and refused to report it. The scams have progressed to include elaborate deceptions, including a fake engagement and a planned visit requiring more money. The daughter has sought help from the AARP fraud network and the FTC, and is considering financial interventions and possibly a mental health evaluation for her mother.