The Federal Trade Commission claimed that romantic scams now top the list of schemes and that the elaborate disadvantages cost the victims thousands of dollars.
The search for love can leave people vulnerable, but it is not just the ship that is the victim.
Many suspicious and intelligent online reporters are attracted, including a woman who uses the name “Angela,” who contacted the Action News research team when she was still in contact with a man. which was called “James Earl Thompson.”
Thompson sent Angela dozens of photos and said he was an expatriate from New Zealand who now lives near White Plains, New York.
“It’s devastating,” Angela said reflecting on what happened. “If you’re someone in my age group, you’re single now after the divorce, trying to recover is just hard enough.”
Angela said she met Thompson at dating site Bumble in 2019.
He claimed to be a specialist in restoring historic buildings in Europe.
“It came out very believable,” he said.
Their online courtship lasted a few months.
Thompson then claimed he was heading to Cyprus for a project.
It was then that his elaborate scheme emerged.
“He sent me copies of the plane tickets with, curiously, his passport information,” he said.
Thompson soon gifted her with stories of a stolen laptop and frozen bank accounts.
And then she shared that voice message that she got a call from a supposed nurse.
“We’re calling as far as your husband is concerned,” the person who called said.
The voicemail said Thompson had been in a near-fatal car accident and needed to be operated on.
He then received an email from an alleged doctor. In it was a link to what appeared to be a beautiful hospital.
Despite his reservations, he sent nearly $ 20,000 over time to help with expenses.
“I’m sure this is like a template they use for all women,” she said.
This is where blogger Patsy Roach comes in.
“I don’t think you’re the guy in the picture,” Roach told a man who contacted her online.
Roach was almost scammed in 2016 and decided to change the table to expose the romantic scammers.
“I’m the guy in the picture,” a man on the phone told Roach.
“If you’re the guy in the picture, you’d show me your face,” he replied.
Roach told Action News that the main reason he does this is to get fake storylines.
“So people, especially women, can see this and not fall into the hands of these guys and send them money,” she said.
Roach said he has caught dozens of scammers, some even several times.
His MO is the same, he is often called a military man or a businessman working abroad. Others told him they are recent widows.
Authorities said many of these scammers are in remote locations overseas and sometimes use the money to conduct illegal operations.
In the latest FBI Internet Crime Report, Pennsylvania ranks fifth among the states with the most catfish scams.
New Jersey and Delaware are further down the list.
“It’s terrifying and downright terrifying,” Roach said of how many schemes there are.
Roach said the scammers have infiltrated virtually every online dating platform.
“I was on Match.com. I was on Our Time. The big one was Plenty of Fish, more than a bunch of counterfeiters. And then Twitter and Instagram,” he said.
Angela went to the police and the FBI.
He said the investigations went nowhere.
Authorities will tell you that the scams are too widespread to investigate.
Angela said that just a few months after the alleged “James Earl Thompson” accident, she found him online again, probably looking for another victim.
“This is something much bigger than anyone understands.” He added.
Authorities tell Action News that the best advice is to never send money to someone you’ve only met online, regardless of their history.
If you are into the world of online dating, we recommend that you check out the photo from your dating profile.
Google Images is a good start, as is the tineye.com website.
You must also report any alleged crime to the FTC and the FBI.
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