My Scam Story #39

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

Okay, here goes—my story.

I had just opened a Facebook account a few months before everything happened. One day, I received a message from someone named Teddy James. Being new to social media, I didn’t think much of it, and I accepted the request. That simple click led to a nightmare.

At the time, I was feeling down, and he seemed to say all the right things. He told me he was trying to reconnect with a friend he hadn’t heard from in a while—someone he had served with—and came across my profile. He said he loved my smile.

When I asked where he was from, he said New York, but that he was currently serving in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan. He had three months left of a nine-month deployment and planned to retire when he returned home. His dream was to start a real estate business with a “good woman.”

He told me his mother had died of cancer, his father was an alcoholic who had also passed, and that his uncle—who raised him—was both a priest and a police chief. It sounded strange to me, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt. He opened up quickly, sharing his whole life story. I felt flattered and drawn in.

He asked about me, and I told him everything. That first chat lasted three hours. When I had to leave for work, I honestly didn’t think I’d hear from him again.

I was wrong.

That night, he messaged me again—charming, sweet, and saying things like, “Welcome home, honey. I wish I were there to take care of you.” I was surprised. I thought, Wow, this man can’t be real. I didn’t know how right I was.

After a few days, he asked me to move our chats over to Google Hangouts. I set up an account right away because I couldn’t wait to talk to “my Teddy.” I was falling for him. I never once suspected he might be a scammer.

One night while I was at work, he asked me to buy him a $50 iTunes card. I said no at first. He said it was just to help pass time—there wasn’t much to do where he was, and he loved music. I felt bad for him and gave in. That small gesture opened the door.

About a week later, he came to me in a panic. He said his parents had left him a house, but there were unpaid property taxes and he was about to lose it. My first thought was, Don’t you have access to your own money? He said no. Then he told me not to tell anyone we were talking because it could put us both in danger. He said he could lose everything—and I could get in trouble, too.

I told him I didn’t have the money to help, but he begged. I had some cash saved for repairs on my home, and against my better judgment, I told him I could send $200. He thanked me and gave me the name and address of a woman in New York. He said she was a security guard watching his house. I sent the money through Western Union. Then I sent another payment later, totaling nearly $600.

All the while, my own house needed repairs.

He promised he’d pay me back once he got home. He talked about marriage—we were supposed to get married in October. But that’s when things started changing. He began pulling away. I’d hear from him maybe once a week. The sweet words stopped. He stopped asking about my life. Our conversations became dry.

I started catching on.

When I questioned him, he got defensive. I felt guilty, like I was being too harsh, so I backed off. But deep down, I knew something was wrong. I kept asking for a phone call or a video chat. He always avoided it.

By December, communication had almost completely stopped. Then, suddenly, he came back. He said he had been “in the field” and was so happy I was still there for him. Then it started again—this time, he needed money for supplies. He gave me a story about his colleague working at the embassy in Africa, and said I could send money there.

I wasn’t thinking straight. My guard was down again. I sent another $100 through Western Union.

Then he disappeared for two weeks.

That’s when it finally clicked. It was all about money. I told him off. I called him out and said, “You’re a scammer.” But even after that, he kept messaging me, still trying to reel me back in. It was crazy. He made me question everything—myself, my instincts, even my own reality.

He told me he couldn’t live without me. That his life was meaningless without me.

Despite everything, I kept in contact for a while—but I stopped sending money. I wanted to figure out who he really was. I became my own detective. I went on Scammers United and posted his profile. Deep down, I wanted him to be real, but I already knew he wasn’t. My gut had been right all along.

The damage was done. My life felt flipped upside down. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. I was a nervous wreck. I wasn’t myself. He had me in a fog for eight months. I lost myself.

But I’m finding my way back.

Recovery is hard, but I’ve made a promise to myself: I will never lose me again. I missed me. I love me. And no one will ever control me like that again.

SCARS Institute Notes:

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