Retired sportswriter Levine, 82, loses $271,000 life savings to pig-butchering romance scam via fake 'Daisy Miller' identity and fraudulent SunX gold trading platform

Summary

Levine, an 82-year-old retired sportswriter from Kennesaw, Georgia, lost his entire $271,000 savings in a pig-butchering romance scam. The fraud began with an unsolicited text message inviting him to a cookout, which led to weeks of flirtatious online communication with a scammer posing as 'Daisy Miller.' The scammer introduced a fake gold trading platform called SunX, initially showing Levine small profits to build trust. He invested increasing amounts including his full savings portfolio and a loan. When he attempted to withdraw funds, he was told he owed a $216,000 tax fee. His nephew, a software engineer, later confirmed the SunX account was fake and the money had been funnelled directly to scammers. Levine now lives on Social Security and a pension, and sold personal belongings — including a Nikon camera, a Rolex watch, and a 1996 Olympic torch — to cover expenses. The Kennesaw Police Department investigated but confirmed recovery was near impossible.