Meet Gloria Mooney, a 73-year-old woman described by her son, Ben DeSilva, as “kind and caring.” Unfortunately, her good nature made her vulnerable to deceit in today’s tech-savvy world. “You wouldn’t think someone so lovely could fall victim like this,” Ben said, reflecting on the challenges his mother has faced since becoming a widow in 2010.
In 2021, Gloria endured a serious car accident that left her with significant injuries and emotional scars. Less than two years later, she was involved in another collision that further shook her emotional state. “She was never the same after that,” Ben noted, observing changes in her personality.
By June 2023, Ben discovered something alarming when Gloria mentioned forming a bond with a man named Henry on Facebook, who claimed to work on an oil rig. “I just knew it was a scam,” Ben recalled, feeling a sense of dread. Despite their attempts to explain that Henry wasn’t real, Gloria was drawn deeper into this fictitious relationship.
In October, Ben stumbled upon a letter from Gloria’s bank which showed alarming late payment notices. “She’s always been responsible with her finances,” he said, leading him to dig deeper into her accounts. What he found shocked him: his mother had been swindled out of over $50,000 by this con artist.
“Henry” had manipulated Gloria into believing he loved her, promising that she would get back everything she sent him. This deception led her to share gift card codes, Bitcoin, wire transfers, and even withdraw her 401k and savings. “They used everything good about my mom against her,” Ben expressed in disbelief.
Despite their best efforts, including contacting local police and the FBI, it became clear that nothing could be done to recover the lost funds. Investigations traced the scam to Nigeria, a known hotspot for online fraud. To their dismay, they found that “Henry’s” profile picture stolen from a celebrity.
While Gloria is now seeing medical professionals and working with a therapist, her family continues to deal with the emotional and financial aftermath of the scam. “We’ve had to step in to manage her finances,” Ben explained. He urges others to remain vigilant: “Always check in with your older relatives—it might just save them from these scams.”
Romance scams are rising as more individuals create social media profiles, making them easy prey for deceitful strangers. Austin Berglas, a former FBI agent, explains that scammers often build fake online personas to reel victims in, creating an emotional connection that blinds them to warning signs.
As Berglas puts it, “Once someone is emotionally invested, they might ignore red flags.” He suggests all online interactions should be approached with skepticism; if something feels off, it probably is.
Recognizing that older adults, like Gloria, are frequent targets, experts emphasize the need for protective measures from both social media platforms and government. Financial literacy and awareness could help prevent more individuals from falling into similar traps.
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