By Kenneth Niemeyer, Insider | [While not directly music related, we felt this was important to warn people about another scam that is hitting, in particular, our older folks. Watch out for yours! Look for the signs when Grandma – or Grandpa – tells you they’ve got a new boyfriend – one they met online.] A California woman is out tens of thousands of dollars after sending the money to a scammer she thought was actor Keanu Reeves.
Katherine Goodson, 67, said she sent thousands of dollars to the scammers through bitcoin, gift card transactions, and wire transfers over two years, according to KNSD, a local NBC affiliate. She said she is now living out of her car and had “29 miles of gas left.”
“That’s the lowest I’ve ever been,” she told the outlet.
Imposter romance scams are among the most common scams on the internet. While romance scams can target people of any age group, older Americans usually suffer the largest monetary losses.
According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Report, Americans lost more than $650 million to romance scams in 2023 alone. Americans over 60 reported the most losses to scammers of any age group, totaling $3.4 billion.
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According to the Federal Trade Commission, some signs that you could be the target of a romance scam are if the person you are messaging refuses to meet in person, asks for money, or asks you to pay them in an unconventional way, such as a gift card or wire transfer.
If you suspect you may be the victim of a scam, stop talking to the person immediately and consult with someone you trust, the FTC says.
“Here’s the bottom line: Never send money or gifts to a sweetheart you haven’t met in person,” the FTC says.
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Read more here:
https://www.businessinsider.com/keanu-reeves-romance-scams-2024-12
https://www.yahoo.com/news/67-old-woman-now-lives-140905040.html
Read the original article on Business Insider
[P.S. My brother got caught in one of these. Came darn-near to spending the rest of his life in prison.]