#romancescam — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #romancescam, aggregated by home.social.
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US Extradites Black Axe Leaders, Disrupts Global Romance Scam Network
In a major blow to international crime, the US has extradited five leaders of the notorious Black Axe gang, accused of running a global romance scam network, from South Africa to face federal charges. The extradited men, originally from Nigeria, were arrested in 2021 and will face court in New Jersey.
#RomanceScam #BlackAxe #TransnationalCrime #Fbi #Extradition
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Pattern #90: The Hollow Future Illusion Trap
Strategy: Simulating deep love and a shared future as castles in the air, while remaining ice-cold and distant. Creating the eerie feeling that an unseen script dictates their actions.
Red Flag: Grand promises of togetherness contradicted by emotional detachment and the distinct impression that outside controllers are driving every word.
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Pattern #89: The Manufactured Victimhood Trap
Strategy: Instantly shifting into the role of the victim with intense emotional outbursts whenever logical inconsistencies or contradictions can no longer be explained or defended.
Red Flag: Dramatic emotional collapses or counter-accusations the moment undeniable contradictions are exposed, turning accountability upside down.
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Pattern #84: The Intimacy and Blackmail Trap
Strategy: Simulating deep affection to demand intimate acts, later weaponizing them as coercion or financial extortion. Meanwhile, constantly juggling incoming calls or messages from other men disguised as casual friends.
Red Flag: Intimacy turning into leverage or blackmail, paired with ongoing background distractions from parallel romantic interests.
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Pattern #83: The Persistent Solicitation Trap
Strategy: Repeatedly requesting funds for alleged obligations or family needs back home, followed by aggressive accusations and hostility when financial support is denied.
Red Flag: Unrelenting financial demands framed as absolute necessities, turning hostile or abusive immediately upon refusal.
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Pattern #82: The Covert Surveillance Trap
Strategy: Secretly recording audio and video without consent to spy, intimidate, and manufacture leverage or false evidence against the target.
Red Flag: Discovering hidden recordings or facing threats based on covertly gathered media intended to control behavior.
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Pattern #81: The Luxury Discrepancy Trap
Strategy: Simulating extreme poverty or a tragic backstory to elicit sympathy, while openly displaying expensive jewelry, high-end clothing, multiple mobile phones, or commercial business accounts.
Red Flag: Stark contradictions between claimed financial destitution and a visible luxury lifestyle or redundant communication channels.
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Pattern #80: The Triangulation and Blame-Shifting Trap
Strategy: Inverting accountability through severe accusations and feigned incomprehension. Parallel, opaque contacts with third parties are deliberately used to induce insecurity.
Red Flag: Constant counter-accusations and aggressive justifications while maintaining ambivalent contacts to force emotional dependency.
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US Disrupts Xinbi Guarantee Scam Network, Freezes $52.8 Million in Crypto
The US government has struck a major blow against a massive crypto scam network, freezing $52.8 million in cryptocurrency and dismantling a key online marketplace used to launder billions of dollars stolen from American victims. This crackdown is a huge win in the fight against pig butchering romance scams, a notorious scheme…
#CryptoScam #PigButchering #Telegram #IllicitMarketplace #RomanceScam
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https://www.europesays.com/iran/285097/ 63-year-old Lebanon County woman loses nearly $400K in reported ‘romance scam’ | Berks Regional News #ElderlyVictim #FinancialLoss #Fraud #Lebanon #OnlineScam #RomanceScam
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https://www.europesays.com/iran/284466/ Lebanon County woman loses at least $384,000 in TikTok romance scam #63YearOldWoman #8OnYourSide #AppTelegram #AppleGiftCard #CountryMusicStar #family #Lebanon #LebanonCounty #LebanonCountyWoman #LonelyPeople #Money #PennsylvaniaStatePolice #PSP #roche #RomanceScam #scammer #SingleFriend #Telegram #TikTok #TiktokRomanceScam #victim #widow #woman
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https://youtube.com/shorts/DtIouixkOiA?is=Jto5TP0CPoVCRz0m
Fake 49ers Star Scammed 26 Women Out of $1.3 Million
Linktr.ee/562AlexD
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How We Tracked a 'Fake Prince' Scammer to His Nigerian Mansion
https://www.occrp.org/en/investigation/how-we-tracked-a-fake-prince-scammer-to-his-nigerian-mansion
Oh look, he lives in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria, and the seat of the Federal Government of Nigeria. How strange... /s
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How We Tracked a 'Fake Prince' Scammer to His Nigerian Mansion
https://www.occrp.org/en/investigation/how-we-tracked-a-fake-prince-scammer-to-his-nigerian-mansion
Oh look, he lives in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria, and the seat of the Federal Government of Nigeria. How strange... /s
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How We Tracked a 'Fake Prince' Scammer to His Nigerian Mansion
https://www.occrp.org/en/investigation/how-we-tracked-a-fake-prince-scammer-to-his-nigerian-mansion
Oh look, he lives in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria, and the seat of the Federal Government of Nigeria. How strange... /s
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How We Tracked a 'Fake Prince' Scammer to His Nigerian Mansion
https://www.occrp.org/en/investigation/how-we-tracked-a-fake-prince-scammer-to-his-nigerian-mansion
Oh look, he lives in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria, and the seat of the Federal Government of Nigeria. How strange... /s
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How We Tracked a 'Fake Prince' Scammer to His Nigerian Mansion
https://www.occrp.org/en/investigation/how-we-tracked-a-fake-prince-scammer-to-his-nigerian-mansion
Oh look, he lives in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria, and the seat of the Federal Government of Nigeria. How strange... /s
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Pattern #73: The Platform Migration Trap
Strategy: Insisting on moving conversations away from monitored platform chat features to external, encrypted, or obscure messaging apps under the pretext of privacy, convenience, or platform glitches.
Red Flag: Immediate pressure to abandon the native platform's safety features for alternative communication channels where oversight, reporting, and safety tools do not exist.
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Pattern #71: The Manufactured Secrecy Demand
Strategy: Insisting that communication, relationship details, or financial discussions remain entirely hidden from friends, family, or colleagues under the guise of "protecting privacy" or keeping a "special bond."
Red Flag: Strict insistence on absolute secrecy or emotional isolation from your support network, framed as a sign of special loyalty or intimacy.
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Pattern #70: The Weaponized Vulnerability Trap
Strategy: Presenting oneself as the ultimate victim of circumstance, past trauma, or the target's boundaries to induce guilt and force a reversal of roles.
Red Flag: Sudden, dramatic shifts from aggressive demands to extreme emotional fragility whenever accountability, distance, or security measures are enforced.
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Pattern #69: The Isolation Ultimatum
Strategy: Forcing the target to choose between the manipulator and their established support network by creating artificial friction, jealousy, or manufactured drama.
Red Flag: Demands or heavy emotional pressure to cut ties with friends, family, or advisors, framed as a "test of loyalty."
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Pattern #68: The Technical Gaslighting Trap
Strategy: Convincing the target that account compromises, missing data, or system errors are the result of their own user error, memory lapses, or paranoia.
Red Flag: Persistent claims that hacks or technical anomalies are imaginary and caused solely by the target's incompetence.
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Pattern #67: The False Closure Illusion
Strategy: Orchestrating a dramatic, final-seeming resolution or "goodbye" to induce a false sense of safety, lowering the target's vigilance before a future re-engagement.
Red Flag: Highly emotional final statements that are quickly contradicted by subsequent contact or continued surveillance.
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Pattern #66: The Synthetic Accountability Trap
Strategy: Faking genuine remorse or fabricated accountability after a prolonged absence to lower defenses and re-establish psychological access.
Red Flag: Sudden, unprompted admissions of guilt combined with requests for a "clean slate" without any verifiable behavioral change.
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Pattern #64: The Manufactured Debt of Gratitude
Strategy: Redefining past manipulation, control, or deceitful actions as acts of personal sacrifice, deep care, or investment in your future.
Red Flag: Demanding emotional or material repayment for unsolicited, harmful, or fabricated assistance under the guise of past "favors."
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Pattern #63: The Re-emergence Hoovering Trap
Strategy: Suddenly reappearing after a long silence with a casual or crisis-laden message to test if your defenses are down.
Red Flag: Unprompted contact out of nowhere after months of separation, acting as if no harm was done.
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Pattern #62: The Support System Discreditation
Strategy: Undermining the target's trust in friends, family, or advisors by framing their protective warnings as jealousy, interference, or lack of understanding.
Red Flag: Insistences that only the manipulator truly grasps your situation, effectively cutting off objective external perspectives.
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Pattern #61: The Post-Contact Surveillance Trap
Strategy: Continuing covert observation of digital spaces after contact ends using anonymous accounts to gauge recovery or vulnerability.
Red Flag: Unexplained profile views or footprints indicating private milestones are monitored.
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Pattern #60: The Total Digital Erasure
Strategy: Systematically purging all mutual history, shared photos, and communication archives across platforms to eliminate evidence and leave the target doubting the reality of the entire encounter.
Red Flag: The sudden, wholesale disappearance of chat histories, media files, and linked profiles, leaving behind an empty digital vacuum as if the interaction never occurred.
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Pattern #59: The Phased Identity Rotation
Strategy: Systematically abandoning a compromised or exposed alias while simultaneously activating a new profile or persona to continue the cycle without interruption.
Red Flag: Sudden account deletion or renaming combined with immediate requests to reconnect on alternative, unverified communication platforms.
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Pattern #59: The Phased Identity Rotation
Strategy: Systematically abandoning a compromised or exposed alias while simultaneously activating a new profile or persona to continue the cycle without interruption.
Red Flag: Sudden account deletion or renaming combined with immediate requests to reconnect on alternative, unverified communication platforms.
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Pattern #59: The Phased Identity Rotation
Strategy: Systematically abandoning a compromised or exposed alias while simultaneously activating a new profile or persona to continue the cycle without interruption.
Red Flag: Sudden account deletion or renaming combined with immediate requests to reconnect on alternative, unverified communication platforms.
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Pattern #59: The Phased Identity Rotation
Strategy: Systematically abandoning a compromised or exposed alias while simultaneously activating a new profile or persona to continue the cycle without interruption.
Red Flag: Sudden account deletion or renaming combined with immediate requests to reconnect on alternative, unverified communication platforms.
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Pattern #55: The Coercive Blackout
Strategy: Imposing sudden, total communication blocks or threatening complete severance to induce high anxiety, forcing the target to comply with demands or panic-driven restitution.
Red Flag: Abrupt, unexplained disappearances timed precisely with financial or boundary milestones, followed by sudden re-emergence with heightened pressure.
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Pattern #55: The Coercive Blackout
Strategy: Imposing sudden, total communication blocks or threatening complete severance to induce high anxiety, forcing the target to comply with demands or panic-driven restitution.
Red Flag: Abrupt, unexplained disappearances timed precisely with financial or boundary milestones, followed by sudden re-emergence with heightened pressure.
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Pattern #54: The Digital Footprint Weaponization
Strategy: Compiling harvested screenshots, private chats, and metadata gathered during earlier phases to construct leverage profiles for future coercion or financial pressure.
Red Flag: Subtle hints or direct references to private information shared long ago, weaponized to create compliance through fear of exposure.
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Pattern #53: The Technical Exploitation Pivot
Strategy: Shifting from psychological conditioning to subtle digital data harvesting, encouraging the download of unverified external applications or plugins under the guise of improving communication quality.
Red Flag: Persistent prompts to switch to obscure third-party video platforms, download custom media players, or grant unnecessary device permissions.
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Pattern #34: Media-Borne Malware Payload
Strategy: Injecting malicious payloads directly into image or video files. Cybercriminals hide scripts behind fake file extensions or exploit rendering vulnerabilities within the target's viewing software to silently extract browser cookies and active session tokens.
Red Flag: Unsolicited incoming media files during chat sessions that request manual downloads or trigger background system lag.
#RomanceScam #CyberSecurity #RedFlags -
Welcome to this space.
Here, we examine the gray areas where human behavior, psychological manipulation, and covert financial traps intersect in cross-border dynamics. No personal accusations, no finger-pointing - just structured pattern analysis, red flags, and digital awareness.
Stay sharp.
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Welcome to this space.
Here, we examine the gray areas where human behavior, psychological manipulation, and covert financial traps intersect in cross-border dynamics. No personal accusations, no finger-pointing - just structured pattern analysis, red flags, and digital awareness.
Stay sharp.
-
Welcome to this space.
Here, we examine the gray areas where human behavior, psychological manipulation, and covert financial traps intersect in cross-border dynamics. No personal accusations, no finger-pointing - just structured pattern analysis, red flags, and digital awareness.
Stay sharp.
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Pig Butchering Part 3: The Psychology of the Scam
In today’s article, Matt Piscitello explores the psychology behind romance scams, particularly the ones driven toward pig butchering. We’ll look at tactics commonly used in these schemes - grooming, urgent crises, or “sunk cost fallacy” - to keep victims invested
https://interisle.substack.com/p/pig-butchering-part-3-the-psychology
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Pig Butchering Part 3: The Psychology of the Scam
In today’s article, Matt Piscitello explores the psychology behind romance scams, particularly the ones driven toward pig butchering. We’ll look at tactics commonly used in these schemes - grooming, urgent crises, or “sunk cost fallacy” - to keep victims invested
https://interisle.substack.com/p/pig-butchering-part-3-the-psychology
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Pig Butchering Part 3: The Psychology of the Scam
In today’s article, Matt Piscitello explores the psychology behind romance scams, particularly the ones driven toward pig butchering. We’ll look at tactics commonly used in these schemes - grooming, urgent crises, or “sunk cost fallacy” - to keep victims invested
https://interisle.substack.com/p/pig-butchering-part-3-the-psychology
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Pig Butchering Part 3: The Psychology of the Scam
In today’s article, Matt Piscitello explores the psychology behind romance scams, particularly the ones driven toward pig butchering. We’ll look at tactics commonly used in these schemes - grooming, urgent crises, or “sunk cost fallacy” - to keep victims invested
https://interisle.substack.com/p/pig-butchering-part-3-the-psychology
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DEEP BACKGROUND, FRAUD and FINANCIAL Investigations https://www.seraphproblemsolving.com/legal-services #fraud #investor #romancescam #scamalert #scammersofinstagram #fraudprevention #elderfraud #cashapp #scams #cybercrime
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Concerned that this "guy" may not be a real person, but perhaps a scammer using romance as a tool against lonely women. With me he claimed to know almost nothing about Mastodon but very quickly suggested we share private chats. Then he was very flattering and wanted to know all about me, while saying little about himself. When he did talk about himself, he said he worked on "offshore drilling" in Europe, even though his profile clearly states that he's located in Orlando, Florida, US.
After 10+ years of online dating, I would warn anybody about the "offshore drilling" story. Scammers like to use that as a means by which to explain when they suddenly drop out of communication, why they can't send photos to confirm their identity, can't make phone calls, and randomly need money.
I have already reported this profile to Mastodon.social.
#fediverse #mastodon #scammerwarning #scammers
#romancescam #mastodonsocial
#mastodonsocialeffect #alttext
#scamsagainstwomen -
Concerned that this "guy" may not be a real person, but perhaps a scammer using romance as a tool against lonely women. With me he claimed to know almost nothing about Mastodon but very quickly suggested we share private chats. Then he was very flattering and wanted to know all about me, while saying little about himself. When he did talk about himself, he said he worked on "offshore drilling" in Europe, even though his profile clearly states that he's located in Orlando, Florida, US.
After 10+ years of online dating, I would warn anybody about the "offshore drilling" story. Scammers like to use that as a means by which to explain when they suddenly drop out of communication, why they can't send photos to confirm their identity, can't make phone calls, and randomly need money.
I have already reported this profile to Mastodon.social.
#fediverse #mastodon #scammerwarning #scammers
#romancescam #mastodonsocial
#mastodonsocialeffect #alttext
#scamsagainstwomen -
Concerned that this "guy" may not be a real person, but perhaps a scammer using romance as a tool against lonely women. With me he claimed to know almost nothing about Mastodon but very quickly suggested we share private chats. Then he was very flattering and wanted to know all about me, while saying little about himself. When he did talk about himself, he said he worked on "offshore drilling" in Europe, even though his profile clearly states that he's located in Orlando, Florida, US.
After 10+ years of online dating, I would warn anybody about the "offshore drilling" story. Scammers like to use that as a means by which to explain when they suddenly drop out of communication, why they can't send photos to confirm their identity, can't make phone calls, and randomly need money.
I have already reported this profile to Mastodon.social.
#fediverse #mastodon #scammerwarning #scammers
#romancescam #mastodonsocial
#mastodonsocialeffect #alttext
#scamsagainstwomen -
Concerned that this "guy" may not be a real person, but perhaps a scammer using romance as a tool against lonely women. With me he claimed to know almost nothing about Mastodon but very quickly suggested we share private chats. Then he was very flattering and wanted to know all about me, while saying little about himself. When he did talk about himself, he said he worked on "offshore drilling" in Europe, even though his profile clearly states that he's located in Orlando, Florida, US.
After 10+ years of online dating, I would warn anybody about the "offshore drilling" story. Scammers like to use that as a means by which to explain when they suddenly drop out of communication, why they can't send photos to confirm their identity, can't make phone calls, and randomly need money.
I have already reported this profile to Mastodon.social.
#fediverse #mastodon #scammerwarning #scammers
#romancescam #mastodonsocial
#mastodonsocialeffect #alttext
#scamsagainstwomen -
Romance Scammers Pocket £102M via Cyber Deception Tactics
Romance scammers made off with a staggering £102 million in the UK last year, using their silver tongues to swindle victims out of their hard-earned cash. Their tactics, cloaked in sweet talk and false affection, ultimately led to a £102 million payday.
#RomanceScam #CyberDeception #UnitedKingdom #FinancialCrime #EmergingThreats
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I have a relative who is getting old and showing some hints of possible cognitive decline. During a recent family visit he started talking about a girlfriend, and it quickly became obvious that he’s involved in a romance scam, that started from one of those random “Hi” messages on a texting app. The scammer has not yet asked for money. However, in spite of every person in the family telling this relative that it’s a scam, he is absolutely convinced that “she” is real.
I’m sympathetic; I can understand why a lonely 80-year-old straight man would want to believe that a much younger beautiful woman could fall madly in love with him based on their conversation alone, and the cognitive decline is not helping him reason sensibly about it. But it’s very frustrating to be unable to help.
We can only hope that when the inevitable money ask comes, that something will click with him. He says that she has offered to send him money, which I assume is a ploy to get his banking information.
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I have a relative who is getting old and showing some hints of possible cognitive decline. During a recent family visit he started talking about a girlfriend, and it quickly became obvious that he’s involved in a romance scam, that started from one of those random “Hi” messages on a texting app. The scammer has not yet asked for money. However, in spite of every person in the family telling this relative that it’s a scam, he is absolutely convinced that “she” is real.
I’m sympathetic; I can understand why a lonely 80-year-old straight man would want to believe that a much younger beautiful woman could fall madly in love with him based on their conversation alone, and the cognitive decline is not helping him reason sensibly about it. But it’s very frustrating to be unable to help.
We can only hope that when the inevitable money ask comes, that something will click with him. He says that she has offered to send him money, which I assume is a ploy to get his banking information.
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I have a relative who is getting old and showing some hints of possible cognitive decline. During a recent family visit he started talking about a girlfriend, and it quickly became obvious that he’s involved in a romance scam, that started from one of those random “Hi” messages on a texting app. The scammer has not yet asked for money. However, in spite of every person in the family telling this relative that it’s a scam, he is absolutely convinced that “she” is real.
I’m sympathetic; I can understand why a lonely 80-year-old straight man would want to believe that a much younger beautiful woman could fall madly in love with him based on their conversation alone, and the cognitive decline is not helping him reason sensibly about it. But it’s very frustrating to be unable to help.
We can only hope that when the inevitable money ask comes, that something will click with him. He says that she has offered to send him money, which I assume is a ploy to get his banking information.
-
I have a relative who is getting old and showing some hints of possible cognitive decline. During a recent family visit he started talking about a girlfriend, and it quickly became obvious that he’s involved in a romance scam, that started from one of those random “Hi” messages on a texting app. The scammer has not yet asked for money. However, in spite of every person in the family telling this relative that it’s a scam, he is absolutely convinced that “she” is real.
I’m sympathetic; I can understand why a lonely 80-year-old straight man would want to believe that a much younger beautiful woman could fall madly in love with him based on their conversation alone, and the cognitive decline is not helping him reason sensibly about it. But it’s very frustrating to be unable to help.
We can only hope that when the inevitable money ask comes, that something will click with him. He says that she has offered to send him money, which I assume is a ploy to get his banking information.
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„#BlackAxe“: Schweizer Ermittler haben Bandenchef festgenommen | heise online https://www.heise.de/news/Black-Axe-Schweizer-Ermittler-haben-Bandenchef-festgenommen-11276168.html #RomanceScam
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„#BlackAxe“: Schweizer Ermittler haben Bandenchef festgenommen | heise online https://www.heise.de/news/Black-Axe-Schweizer-Ermittler-haben-Bandenchef-festgenommen-11276168.html #RomanceScam
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„#BlackAxe“: Schweizer Ermittler haben Bandenchef festgenommen | heise online https://www.heise.de/news/Black-Axe-Schweizer-Ermittler-haben-Bandenchef-festgenommen-11276168.html #RomanceScam
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[ #Suisse ] "Dix hommes liés à un réseau international d'escroqueries amoureuses arrêtés en Suisse"
"Dix hommes ont été arrêtés mardi en Suisse en lien avec une organisation nigériane spécialisée dans les "romance scams", active dans plusieurs pays. Les suspects sont accusés de blanchiment d'argent, d'escroqueries amoureuses et d'autres cyberfraudes, à hauteur de plusieurs millions de francs.
Des perquisitions ont été menées simultanément dans divers locaux résidentiels et entrepôts dans le canton de Zurich et cinq autres cantons, ont indiqué mardi les autorités zurichoises. L'opération, dirigée par le ministère public du canton de Zurich, a été précédée d'enquêtes policières intensives menées par les polices cantonale et municipale de Zurich et soutenues par Europol."
👇
https://www.rts.ch/info/suisse/2026/article/dix-hommes-arretes-en-suisse-pour-escroqueries-amoureuses-en-ligne-29225485.html -
[ #Suisse ] "Dix hommes liés à un réseau international d'escroqueries amoureuses arrêtés en Suisse"
"Dix hommes ont été arrêtés mardi en Suisse en lien avec une organisation nigériane spécialisée dans les "romance scams", active dans plusieurs pays. Les suspects sont accusés de blanchiment d'argent, d'escroqueries amoureuses et d'autres cyberfraudes, à hauteur de plusieurs millions de francs.
Des perquisitions ont été menées simultanément dans divers locaux résidentiels et entrepôts dans le canton de Zurich et cinq autres cantons, ont indiqué mardi les autorités zurichoises. L'opération, dirigée par le ministère public du canton de Zurich, a été précédée d'enquêtes policières intensives menées par les polices cantonale et municipale de Zurich et soutenues par Europol."
👇
https://www.rts.ch/info/suisse/2026/article/dix-hommes-arretes-en-suisse-pour-escroqueries-amoureuses-en-ligne-29225485.html