An Athens woman developed a relationship with a stranger on Facebook that became so serious that she sold her home to provide him with money.
On Tuesday the 75-year-old woman reported to Athens-Clarke police that she lost about $95,000 in what she now knows was a scam.
Somehow it dawned on the woman that the man she met on Facebook in March had fooled her and was taking her money. The report shows that the unknown person was able to quickly gain her trust and soon “started asking for money.”
The report did not detail how the con artist worked his way into her life. She could not be reached for comment.
But when the man asked for money, he wanted “cash and cash only,” according to the report.
The woman told police she sent the cash on four occasions through United Parcel Service and FedEx.
“The male was asking for so much money that she eventually sold her house to send him the money that he needed,” according to the report.
Police detectives have begun an investigation into the matter, but a police spokesman said Thursday it appears from tax records that the woman did sell her home in March.
The woman also provided a name and address where she sent the money. The location, as shown on Google map, is a home in a residential neighborhood of Ralston, Neb., which is in the Omaha metro area.
The woman provided to police information about her communications with the con artist along with the suspect’s Facebook account. She never met him in person.
The FBI reported in February that romance scams have resulted in high financial losses more that most other internet crimes.
The FBI released on its website the following comment about this type of fraud:
“The criminals who carry out romance scams are experts at what they do and will seem genuine, caring and believable. Con artists are present on most dating and social media sites.
The scammer’s intention is to establish a relationship as quickly as possible, endear himself to the victim, and gain trust. Scammers may propose marriage and make plans to meet in person, but that will never happen. Eventually, they will ask for money.”
Anyone who has been a victim of fraud can also report it to the Federal Trade Commission.
Source: onlineathens