Scammers turning hopeful romantics into unwitting money mules | Investigation

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Pa. (WPVI) -- Investigators are warning about a scheme that is becoming all too familiar: romance scams.

The FBI warns that criminal networks are targeting their victims for a new purpose: turning their victims into unwitting money mules.

A money mule is someone who moves illegal money for someone else.

A Montgomery County woman turned to the Action News Investigative Team for help after she said her brother was left with a broken heart. We're not using her last name to protect his identity.

Annette said her 70-year-old brother got linked up with the criminals on LinkedIn in August 2022.

"She told my brother a sob story," recalled Annette.

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Annette said the woman gently wooed her brother over time, stroking his ego by asking him questions about his illustrious journalistic career.

A few months later, their love blossomed through texts.

"She asked him for his phone number and what phone line he was with, and then it got to where he banked," she recalled.

Annette said that is when his love interest purchased and connected iPhones and iPads directly to his AT&T account.

"They started to ask him if they could buy Bitcoin and cryptocurrency over the electronic lines, where they were going to wire the money to the bank and make deposits to his bank account," she added.

Once the crypto proceeds hit his account, the criminals quickly withdrew it in cash.

The FBI told our Investigative Team it was all part of a money laundering scheme.

"These criminals are also using their victims to support other crimes that they're trying to commit," said Special Agent Patrick Duffy with the Philadelphia Field Office. "A lot of times, we are seeing that through the use of victims and unwitting money mules."

Duffy said romance scams have become a billion-dollar-a-year business.

He also said his agency has seen an increase in cryptocurrency fraud and warns artificial intelligence is making it easier to dupe victims.

"Your voice, your photos, everything you are posting and messaging platforms, chat rooms, etc., is all accessible to these criminals, and they will use that information, and they will exploit it for their benefit," said Duffy.

Annette said it was the bank that flagged the scheme and contacted her since she acts as her brother's power of attorney. They then moved to shut down the elaborate scheme.

But she told us she was stunned when she learned her brother had already paid out nearly $10,000 on the devices that remained connected to his AT&T account.

"There are four iPads and two iPhones that he is making monthly installments on," Annette said.

She turned to us after hitting roadblocks with AT&T who she said wouldn't refund the installment payments.

We called the company who agreed to remove the fraudulent lines and offered a $2,300 credit, wiping out the remaining balance.

A spokesperson said the situation emphasizes the importance of keeping personal account information protected.

"All you need is a couple of pieces of identification to get scammed, and we do it in a matter of conversation," Annette said.

The FBI said many victims do not come forward because of shame, so the real impact of this scheme likely is much greater than what is reported. They urge victims to file a report so that they can track the offenders. You can do that on the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at: www.ic3.gov