Utah man losing $186K in romance scam is one of many scams targeting seniors, police say

PROVO, Utah (KSL.com) — Provo police say an ongoing investigation into a “romance scam” highlights the need to protect elderly residents from falling victim to online scams in recent years that specifically target senior citizens.

Police say a Provo man in his 70s was contacted by someone who claimed to be a woman in Maryland. After emailing back and forth for several months, investigators say the woman asked the man for money to help her claim an inheritance.

“The victim was promised a romantic relationship and told the female would move to Utah to be with him if he assisted her financially. This is known as a romance scam. The victim stayed in contact with the suspect(s) over the course of two years, paying various CashApp accounts over $186,000 to help this woman,” according to court documents.

It wasn’t until the man’s son found out what was happening and contacted police that others intervened to ensure no more payments were made.

The man and the woman never met in person over those two years. There was one video call between the two that detectives believe may have been AI-generated by the suspect or suspects, said Provo police spokeswoman Janna-Lee Holland, adding that police are still investigating how the man and woman became aware of each other. Holland said the man was convinced the woman would be moving to Utah soon.

The “woman” had the man send money to 15 to 20 different accounts — each with a different name — using cash apps such as PayPal, Holland said. The investigation into the scam is ongoing and no arrests have been made.

The case, however, highlights a growing problem in Utah and nationally.

Provo police made several social media posts in February to raise awareness about schemes targeting seniors. In addition to “friendship/romance scams,” detectives say other popular scams include callers:

• Impersonating law enforcement and demanding immediate payment for unpaid fines or bail money for missing a court hearing.
• Claiming a bank transfer was made by mistake and demanding the funds be returned.
• Impersonating utility companies, claiming unpaid bills are due.
• Making unsolicited offers to fix nonexistent computer issues and then gaining remote access to the victim’s electronic devices.
• Claiming a loved one is in jail in a foreign country and urgent payment is needed to release them.

The FBI says millions of elderly Americans fall victim to such scams each year. The agency lists several of those scams on its website, including romance scams.

Both Provo police and the FBI recommend simply hanging up on callers demanding urgent payments and calling the alleged organization on a publicly listed number to verify an account. Law enforcers say being asked to deposit money in a Bitcoin machine is also a big red flag. And for romance scams, never send money to anyone you have only communicated with by phone.

Police also encourage family members to keep an eye on their elderly loved one’s online activity.

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