My Scam Story #22

A Romance Scam Victim/Survivor’s Story

Survivor’s Origin: USA

This is the original victim’s story, enhanced by the SCARS Institute Editorial Team to improve comprehension, readability, and continuity.

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My Scam Story

My story is one that I am sure shares similarities with many others here, and it brings me comfort knowing I am not alone in experiencing this devastating situation. It’s still incredibly fresh, and I find myself writing this with tears in my eyes. Although I trust time will bring healing, the journey toward recovery is just beginning.

It all started in September when I received a direct message on Instagram from a man who would eventually become my scammer. At first, our conversations were casual; he talked about himself and asked about my life and what I did. He explained that he was an engineer contracted with the Marines, stationed in Yemen. After some initial conversations, he suggested moving our chats to Google Hangouts, claiming that he couldn’t continue messaging on Instagram due to limitations.

That night, we switched platforms and continued our interactions there. Our conversations were lighthearted at first, and he shared seemingly personal details about his life, including his future plans. He mentioned that his dream was to open a grocery store, as his father once owned one. He explained that his father, mother, and younger sister had tragically passed away in a car accident when he was only seven years old. He also mentioned that his contract would be ending in January, and he looked forward to a new start.

From September 20th until January 28th, we spoke every single day. He was attentive and charming, regularly asking about my day, family, and personal well-being. He showered me with compliments and encouraged me in my personal health journey. Our relationship quickly grew intimate. We exchanged songs, selfies, and heartfelt messages daily. I began sending videos as my “good morning” messages to him, and he reciprocated with affectionate responses. Over time, he convinced me that he loved me, and I fell deeply for him.

At the time, I was married for 23 years but had been feeling deeply unhappy and disconnected from my marriage. This emotional void made me vulnerable and made falling for his emotional manipulation easy.

The situation escalated when he shared a story about receiving payment for “side missions” in Yemen, saying he was paid in gold and jewels. Looking back, this should have raised red flags immediately, but I trusted him completely. He explained that he needed help shipping these valuables out of the country to avoid theft. Naively, I agreed to have them shipped to me.

Shortly after, I was contacted by a shipping company once the “package” reached Mexico. They demanded I pay $25,000 in customs fees to allow it to continue its journey to the United States. Panicked, I contacted him, and he gave me an emotional story about having no access to his funds due to his circumstances and pleaded with me to help, assuring me the contents would more than repay me. I secured a loan and paid the amount.

The situation worsened when the “package” arrived in Los Angeles. I received another demand, stating that Border Patrol had seized it, requiring further payments. Again, I took another loan to meet these demands. By the end of these transactions, I had paid over $50,000.

After these enormous expenses, I refused to send more money. Two weeks passed, and he devised a new story—this time claiming he needed money for better food and resources to help children at their camp. When I refused again, he grew increasingly angry and distant.

Around this time, my husband discovered the substantial transfers and confronted me. I came clean about everything, and he immediately began investigating, quickly confirming that I had been scammed. At first, I didn’t want to believe it. Confronting my scammer, he continued with excuses, and I clung desperately to the hope that there was a misunderstanding. Nevertheless, I filed reports with the IC3 and FTC on December 18th.

Despite my reports, I continued talking with him, holding onto false hope. However, reality eventually became undeniable, and on January 28th, I cut all ties, blocking him entirely from social media and messaging platforms.

The emotional toll has been profound. I’m gutted, embarrassed, heartbroken, and deeply depressed. Accepting that I was a victim of such a manipulative and calculated scam is challenging. Currently, my husband and I are in counseling, attempting to heal and recover. Initially, I hesitated to mention the scammer in counseling, but my husband courageously brought it up during our first session.

So far, I’ve only shared this painful story with my counselor, husband, and through official reports—now, with you all as well. Thank you for reading my story. I appreciate any support, and I am eager to learn from others here in the SCARS community as I start my journey toward healing.

SCARS Institute Notes:

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