What started with a simple like on a TikTok post turned into a years-long lie.
A Stark County man in his 70s began chatting with who he thought was a woman in need.
"A bad actor forged a relationship with this gentleman, promising a romantic relationship with him," said Major Rick Stauffer of the Stark County Sheriff's Office.
Stauffer told Good Morning Cleveland anchor Mike Brookbank that the man sent the woman 200 gift cards worth $60,000 over a five-year period.
The man told investigators he and the woman made plans to live together.
"At one point, he believed that there was a U-Haul being sent to his house to pick up his belongings so they could move in together," said Stauffer. "But yet he had never met her face to face."
The woman never showed up, and that's when the man knew he had been scammed.
Stauffer said older adults are often targeted and impacted by romance scams because they're vulnerable.
"They are a trusting generation, they have time on their hands, they are lonely," said Stauffer. "They may be widows or widowers and they're looking for that companionship."
Since this scam persisted for years, there is little hope of recovering the man's money.
"If we were able to trace those transactions swiftly, we potentially could possibly at least see the route of that money, otherwise, it typically may be gone," said Stauffer.
Besides financial losses, victims of romance scams can also endure emotional and psychological trauma.
"A lot of times victims will out of shame and embarrassment will not report it," said Stauffer.
There are support programs to help heal from heartbreak. The non-profit FightCybercrime.org created the Romance Scam Recovery Group.
"People have truly bared their souls, their emotions, they've shared such intimate details about themselves and they truly thought that they had this very intimate relationship with this person," said licensed social worker Dr. Jennifer Lawrence.
Lawrence leads the Romance Scam Recovery Group, which offers counseling, therapy and online safety education.
"The effects of this trauma are truly devastating for people so ensuring that they're getting support and resources is important," said Lawrence.
To avoid falling for a romance scam, be wary of red flags including intense professions of love, requests for money and excuses to avoid meeting in person. If you suspect a scam, stop all communication and report what happened to the Federal Trade Commission and local law enforcement.
