When it comes to scamming, the first thing that one targets is the emotions. Once you break that wall, it becomes easy for the perpetrators to do financial damage. Something similar happened to an elderly woman, a 67-year-old resident of California, who fell victim to a romance scam, where the person who committed fraud pretended to be actor Keanu Reeves.
Yes, you read that right, Katherine Goodson, 67, thought she was connected with the ‘John Wick’ star Keanu Reeves, while in reality she was being robbed by a fraudster who made her lose tens of thousands of dollars, leaving her homeless and living out of her car.
According to the KNSD report, for two years Katherine sent money via Bitcoin, gift cards, and wire transfers. More than the money, it was the emotional damage that left a huge scar on her heart and soul. “That’s the lowest I’ve ever been,” she told KNSD. She highlighted how the scam not only made her lose money but left her emotionally vulnerable.
The concerning part is that this is not a standalone incident. Statistics show that in 2023, the FBI reported victims losing over $650 million to such scams. The worst part is that most of the victims were over 60. Scammers often pose as celebrities or romantic interests to gain trust, manipulate emotions, and perform their perfect crime. And these stats only record the scams that are reported, many elderlies don’t even file a complaint out of shame.
Authorities are trying to warn civilians about such scams. The Federal Trade Commission warns against red flags in online relationships.
