My Scam Story #42

A Romance Scam Victim/Survivor’s Story

Survivor’s Origin: MEXICO

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

I want to share a part of my story with all of you—because like many here, I was also the victim of a scam. It’s not easy to talk about, but I know that by sharing what I went through, I might help someone else who’s still trapped in the same nightmare.

In the beginning, I truly believed I was helping someone in need. He told me he had a son who was struggling, and he knew exactly how to reach the softest part of my heart—because I’m a mother too. He used that against me. He knew that I had small children of my own, and he played on that vulnerability. He made me believe I was doing something good, something kind. So I sent him money.

But it didn’t stop there.

The situation slowly turned into something terrifying. He stopped pretending to be grateful. Instead, he began making threats—awful, terrifying threats. He said he would harm me and my children. He said he knew where I lived. He had all my personal information because I had given it to him when I still believed he was a real person, a good man. I thought he was in the military, and I thought he was honest. I never imagined I was talking to a criminal.

I didn’t know what to do. I was paralyzed with fear. For months, I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t eat. I was locked inside my own fear. Every sound made me jump. I was terrified he would come for me. I believed every word he said, because I didn’t yet understand how these scams work. I thought he was real—and I thought the danger was real too.

Thank God, with what little strength I had left, I reached out for help. Somehow, I found the right people. They helped me understand that the man I was speaking to was not a soldier. He wasn’t coming for me. He wasn’t even in the same country. He was a scammer, and everything he said was designed to control me and keep me sending him money. The threats, the lies, the fear—it was all manipulation.

That was the moment everything began to change. Once I learned the truth, I was able to begin letting go of the nightmare.

In July, I marked one year since I escaped that dark chapter of my life. When I first found out the truth, I collapsed emotionally. I cried for an entire weekend—deep, painful sobs. Not just because of the betrayal, but because I had lost everything. All the money I had worked so hard to save was gone. I knew I would never get it back. It was devastating.

But then something shifted inside me. I thought to myself: Money can eventually be earned again. But no amount of money is worth the fear, the stress, the suffering I lived through. That’s when I made the decision to rebuild. I picked up the pieces of myself that were still left, and I started to stand again.

I was lucky to find support. This group—and especially the women in it—lifted me up. They understood exactly what I had been through. They didn’t judge me. They stood by me and wouldn’t let me fall. Even though I had nothing left financially, I had hope. I had strength. And for a while, that was enough.

But life wasn’t done testing me.

A few months after I began healing from the scam, my mother passed away. It was a devastating loss. I was still fragile, still trying to find solid ground—and her death shook me all over again. It broke me. But I had no choice. I had to get back up. I had to be strong. Not just for me—but for my children.

Then, not long after that, another blow came.

My six-year-old son, Santi, was diagnosed with cancer.

That was the hardest moment of all. My heart broke in ways I didn’t know were possible. I was already carrying so much, already trying to survive without a home of my own, without a stable job, supporting three children on my own. And now this. Another mountain to climb.

But still, I keep going. I have no choice.

We are fighting this battle as a family. I am doing everything I can. Even though my small business doesn’t bring in much yet, it helps us get by. We have what we need for today, and for now, that’s enough. We don’t have much, but we have each other—and we have hope.

And I’ve made a promise to myself: I will never go back to the darkness the scam brought into my life.

I’ve chosen to focus on what matters most—my children. They are my reason to live, to keep fighting, to keep hoping. They are my purpose. And even though my path has been filled with pain, I’ve turned that pain into something meaningful. I now dedicate myself to helping other women who are going through what I once did. I speak out. I offer support. I share my experience, even when it’s hard, because I know what it’s like to feel alone and ashamed.

To anyone reading this who is still in the middle of their own storm, please know this: there is life after the scam. There is peace after fear. There is healing after heartbreak.

You are not alone. And you are not broken beyond repair.

I don’t know what tomorrow will bring. But I know this: I survived. I am still here. I’m still standing.

And for my children—for myself—I will never stop moving forward.

SCARS Institute Notes:

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