Kansas City man loses $120,000 to romance scam via TikTok and Telegram messages

Summary

A man in the Kansas City metro area lost an estimated $120,000 since March in a romance scam. The scam began when a woman named "Lisa" messaged him on TikTok and later moved the conversation to the Telegram app. "Lisa" asked for money to help with various emergencies, including car repairs and gas, and later claimed she needed funds to pay back taxes on her mother’s house. The victim sent money via CashApp and Bitcoin machines in Kearney and Excelsior Springs, Missouri. A family member eventually recognized the situation as a scam after being informed by the victim.