Here are some key elements from that investigation:
1. Why we did this: When a Fairfield man was charged in December with involvement in romance scams totaling more than $1 million, we wondered just how big of a racket such scams are and how many people in our region are impacted.
2. What we found: Romance scams are a huge problem, costing Ohioans tens of millions of dollars a year and costing Americans more than $1 billion.
- Blizzard analyzed reports to the Ohio Attorney General and found dozens of local examples of alleged romance scams reported from the southwest Ohio region in recent years, costing victims an average of $15,000 each.
Credit: STAFF
Credit: STAFF
3. The real cost: Beyond the considerable financial losses is the betrayal of trust. These people thought they were in love, and not only had their money stolen but also their hearts broken.
4. Outlandish claims: Court records, state reports and interviews reveal that victims are reeled in with fascinating tales. Fraudsters claim they have gold bars inherited from a father in Australia, are trapped in an Italian prison, are in the military serving overseas — in all cases they urgently need cash, often in untraceable forms such as gift cards.
5. The victims: One Greene County woman says her senior citizen mother gave away her entire inheritance to people she met online.
- “All I know is my mom … went through $150,000 that her father left her when he passed away,” she said. “Between all the troubles she had with the banks, she’s to the point now where no bank will open an account with her for her anywhere. She’s been blackballed.”
6. Rarely reported: Law enforcement officials and advocates for the elderly say the actual cost of such scams is likely much higher since they are often unreported. At the bottom of our story are tips on avoiding romance scams.
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