How this woman lost over $200,000 in a crypto-romance scam
A British pensioner living in Nottinghamshire walked away with $207,000 after falling victim to a bitcoin romance scam.
Police managed to recover some of the stolen funds and warned people to be extra vigilant with online dating due to the rise of similar scams.
The latest BTC romance scheme
Nottinghamshire Police so a woman in her 70s transferred over $200,000 to a suspicious bitcoin address belonging to a person she dated online. The person orchestrated the scheme from Nigeria, and his sole aim was to steal funds from the pensioner.
The woman, whose name was not identified, began chatting with the scammer in May 2020, who presented himself as a US Army surgeon. Their communication in the following months developed into a relationship and switched to Google Handouts.
At one point, the criminal told the woman that he was in love with her and needed money to end the contract and be with her. He insisted that the only way to receive money was if the lady transferred someone to a specific bitcoin wallet, promising to pay her back in time.
She withdrew cash from her bank account and deposited the notes into BTC ATMs across Nottingham. But the lady soon realized that she had sent over $200,000 of her savings to a con artist and not a noble surgeon who wanted to be with her.
After opening a case, the local police teamed up with her bank and were able to refund her almost $135,000. Still, she felt devastated and warned others to be extra careful when dating online.
Police and Crime Commissioner – Caroline Henry – highlighted the efforts of the authorities which helped the woman recover some of her lost belongings. She also urged people to contact law enforcement agencies as soon as they suspect such scams:
– We would also encourage anyone who goes through a similar scenario to contact the police. Don’t be embarrassed to tell us what you’re going through. We can help and support you if you are going through a difficult time.”
The police further said that people should not stop using dating sites, but follow some important rules, such as never accepting friend requests from people they do not know. Disclosing too many personal details or sending money to someone they have only met online should also be avoided.
The similar case of a British man
An anonymous UK resident divorced with a significant amount of funds after a woman he messaged on a dating website cheated on him. His mysterious girlfriend, named Jia, turned out to be a successful cryptocurrency investor with “insider knowledge” and asked him to invest in bitcoin via a dubious application.
The man ended up granting $200,000 when he saw that his balance had “cleared.” He asked Jia for an explanation, but she was reluctant to help, saying she had to fly to Australia and spend time with her sick aunt.
The desperate man realized he had fallen victim to a cryptocurrency scam and admitted that if it wasn’t for his mother, he might have committed suicide.
