Arizona Woman Loses $60,000 In 'Romance Scam'

One Arizona woman is now thousands of dollars down after an online lover became her worst nightmare, reported AZ Family. The woman, who didn't want to be identified, is sharing her story about a man named William.

The woman's husband passed away two years ago and William is the first man she's talked to since the tragedy. She said, "He was very trusting, very sweet, very loving, and very compassionate. I thought this could be my second chapter, yes."

After four months of phone calls and text messages, William sent the woman his bank account link. He then called her and said he was locked out of his account because he was on a job in Alaska. He then convinced her to wire him $60,000 on two different occasions for the tools he needed.

She said, "Looking back at it now, I feel like a total fool. He made me basically homeless for some time."

Now, she wants justice. She filed a reports with the Scottsdale Police Department, but the detectives closed the claim. A spokesperson told AZ Family that it's because the scammer had technology that can hide their location, make spoof phone numbers, and disguise voices.

The woman said, "It's infuriating. I didn't think it would happen to me; I didn't know that's what it was."

In 2020, the Federal Trade Commission said that there was around $304 million stolen in "romance scams."

"If it feels fishy, it definitely is," said the woman.