AKRON, Ohio — A heartbreaking story coming out of Akron, as an elderly man said he was just trying to create long-term relationships when he lost thousands of dollars. The News 5 Investigators have a big warning about romance fraud and the kinds of things crooks do to hook you in.
“How do you feel right now?” we asked David Lumpp from Coventry Township.
“Sad, depressed, screwed up,” said Lumpp. “My whole life is tied up in this whole deal.”
PAYING IN GIFT CARDS
He’s beside himself knowing he sent $1300 in gift cards to someone after clicking on an adult-dating site.
"I sent them another $500 because…I’m just in way over my head in this situation,” Lumpp told us.
So, $1800 total after being told he needed to keep sending money for various levels of a VIP club that would connect him to women.
"I just feel like it’s a travesty that somebody could be doing this,” said Lumpp.
But that’s not the only time this kind of thing has happened to the 77-year-old. He told us another woman online asked him to send $200.
"When I first met her, she was talking about coming here and us getting married and blah, blah, blah,” said Lumpp.
In the end, he sent $2200 trying to meet that woman.
"I’m old, and I’m vulnerable. I’m just really vulnerable,” said Lumpp. “And people think that’s a weakness and they take advantage, you know?”
WATCH FOR THE RED FLAGS
Many might think people feel connected to their communities through cellphones with all the social media, apps and texting. But according to a recent study that came out late last year, the American Psychological Association reported more than 60% of us feel more isolated, more lonely in our world today.
Devan Weckerly Lambert from the Akron Better Business Bureau said to be careful.
"Humans are social creatures. We love connection,” she told us. “Are you being required to pay more and more money to continue to make connections. Are you being asked to buy credits? Are you being asked to purchase gift cards?”
All are big warning signs to stay away, she told us. She also said that when supposed dating businesses only text with their clients, there’s a chance it’s artificial intelligence.
"That could be feeding you canned responses that sound like they are listening to what you’re saying, but really it’s just computers,” she said.
Weckerly Lambert told us to verify any site because sometimes crooks pose as legitimate dating services.
"One or two characters could be off (on the IP address), or it could be the wrong domain,” she said. “It could be a dot com versus a dot org.”
She also told us crooks use scare tactics and fake deadlines to get us to act more quickly. Take a breath before handing over any money.
That’s something Lumpp said he wishes he had done before losing a big chunk of his savings.
"I just tapped out all my accounts to do this,” said Lumpp. “I mean…stupid is as stupid does, you know?”
This story came to us through a tip. If you have any stories you’d like our investigators to look into, call our tip line at 216-431-HELP (4357) or email InvestigatorTips@WEWS.com.
