Call Kurtis: A Facebook Love Story That Turned Into A Sweetheart Scam
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - A Sacramento senior thought she had found love online but found out a little too late she was scammed.
Lynn, who does not want to reveal her last name, is a divorced senior. She wanted a companion but now regrets accepting a Facebook friend request that popped up in February.
"I just feel so stupid," she said.
She's now a scammer found his way into her heart through her Facebook posts, and later, her pocketbook.
"I normally don't friend people on Facebook who I don't know," she said.
Lynn says it was amazing how much she had in common with a man supposedly named Robinson. He said he was working on an oil rig in Alaska and social media was his way to ease the loneliness. Both had a passion for camping, German shepherds and had ties to Texas. After a month of chatting and texting, the divorcee says their Facebook friendship had blossomed into something more.
"Well he says he really loves me and wants to marry me," said Lynn.
But shortly thereafter, Robinson had a string of bad luck. He told Lynn his daughter was severely ill.
"She needed $950 for the medicine or she was going to die, which I gave him," Lynn said.
Then, he said pirates attacked his rig and he desperately needed money to fix his boat.
Despite feeling something was not right, Lynn wired Robinson $1,750.
Later, she realized she was scammed.
The Better Business Bureau's Danielle Spang says these scammers will spend months chatting to gain your trust. She says scammers often steal pictures of people right off the web to create a false profile.
"It's really sickening," Spang says, "It is really hard to track these guys down. That's why it's so important to remember to never send money."
"I don't want to be lied to anymore," said Lynn.
She's sharing her story because she doesn't want others to feel like she does now.
"Because it hurts. It hurts right here (pointing to her heart) and I can't let it happen to anyone else," said Lynn.
These so-called sweetheart scammers often target lonely seniors and will seek common interests that you post on your Facebook page. It's a good reason to make your page private and never accept a friendship request from someone who you don't know.
