A WIDOW has lost millions of dollars after becoming a victim of a complex romance scam.
In 2020, Laura Kowal was found dead in a river after being scammed out of $1.5 million by a man she met on the dating website Match.com.
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For over a year, Kowal had an online relationship with a man who referred to himself as “Frank Borg,” according to CBS.
Borg was said to have used Kowal’s social media to create a connection and manipulate her into investing in his online trading firm.
Kowal had reportedly begun to question her online lover, but he was able to keep her financially controlled while helping him scam other victims.
An autopsy report of Kowal’s death ruled that she died by drowning, with some investigators believing it could have been a suicide.
US Justice Department and FBI officials have revealed stories like this are all too common.
In 2023, more than 64,000 Americans were openly victims of romance scams.
However, the number could be higher if people weren’t afraid to come forward.
“They may be embarrassed that they have been victimized in this way,” said Arun Rao, who oversees the Consumer Protection Branch at the US Department of Justice.
“They may be ashamed. They may be afraid to tell their friends or family.”
The FBI added that many victims often end up turning to suicide in these cases.
“They shouldn’t feel embarrassed or ashamed,” Rao said.
“These are sophisticated fraudsters who are preying on the human desire for affection. For connection with another person. And they are manipulating [victims] … using sophisticated technology.”
Kowal left an eerie letter to her daughter before her death, admitting the scam had gone too far for her.
“You were right in your judgment of me,” Laura wrote to her daughter, Kelly Gowe.
Cyber expert’s advice on spotting a romance scam
A cyber expert with knowledge of romance scams spoke to The U.S. Sun and warned users of red flags to look out for. Roger Grimes, a defense evangelist at cyber-firm KnowBe4, listed 8 main questions to ask yourself:
- Is the person trying to move you off the dating site to an unmonitored app?
- Are they asking lots of questions before revealing info about themselves? This could be a bid to establish common ground and build trust.
- Are they avoiding phone calls and video chats and coming up with excuses?
- Do they say they travel a lot or that they’re not in the same country? This is often a lucrative part of the scam as they will need money.
- Have they said they are traveling on a certain day and something unforeseen happens, so they need money to get there?
- Do they ask for deep, dark secrets, or incriminating or nude photos? This could be used for blackmail further down the line.
- Have they said they have been scammed before? This is sometimes a ploy to build trust and convince you that they’re not a scammer.
- Do they have a sob story? Like their spouse died suddenly or left unfairly? Or they’ve been left with kids or massive bills to pay?
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“I’ve been living a double life this past year. It has left me broke and broken. Yes, it involves Frank, the man I met through online dating. I tried to stop this, many times, but I knew I would end up dead.”
The FBI said that scammers have been successfully leveraging their victims to become co-conspirators in their crimes, creating further issues for the victim and others.
These fraudsters have been using dating apps and social media to find and manipulate unsuspecting victims.
Match Group CEO Bernard Kim defended the company after speaking to CBS about Kowal’s case.
“We invest a tremendous amount of capital, and incredible talent on trust and safety. It is the first and foremost top priority for us as an organization.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Match Group for comment.
SCAMMING STORIES
Scammers have used many different techniques to steal from victims.
A retiree, who wished to stay anonymous, revealed that a fraudster convinced him to invest in cryptocurrency through a website called Cryptonex.com.
“The person ‘helped’ me by adding $40,000 here and $40,000 there to boost my money-making ability. The last time I added another $100,000,” they said.
“It’s a long story but in a nutshell that is the ‘help’ I received.
“I tried to pull money out and the crypto company said the government thinks that I am laundering money.
“They now say I need to pony up $150,000 — 15% of my “profit” — to pay taxes.
“The company said this would be reimbursed so I would not lose any money. “
The individual realized something was wrong and contacted the FBI and FTC.
In total the person invested $243,000 into the company and hasn’t been able to get the money back.
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