How Fraudsters Turn Hopeful Romantics Into Unsuspecting Money Mules | Investigation

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Pa. (WPVI) — Investigators warn of a scheme that is becoming all too familiar: romance fraud.

The FBI is warning that criminal networks are targeting their victims for a new reason: turning them into unwitting money mules.

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

A Montgomery County woman turned to the investigative team for help after she said her brother was left heartbroken. We are not using her last name to protect his identity.

Annette said her 70-year-old brother was put in touch with the criminals on LinkedIn in August 2022.

“She told my brother a sob story,” Annette remembers.

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Annette said the woman gently courted 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 the phone number he was using, and then it came out where his bank details were,” she remembers.

Annette said at this point his mistress bought iPhones and iPads and connected them directly to his AT&T account.

“They started asking him if they could buy Bitcoin and cryptocurrency through electronic lines where they would transfer the money to the bank and deposit it into his bank account,” she added.

As soon as the crypto proceeds arrived in his account, the criminals quickly withdrew them in cash.

The FBI told our investigative team that it was all part of a money laundering scheme.

“These criminals also use their victims to facilitate other crimes they attempt to commit,” said Special Agent Patrick Duffy of the Philadelphia Field Office. “We often experience this through the use of victims and unwitting money mules.”

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

He also said his agency had noticed a rise in cryptocurrency fraud and warned that artificial intelligence was making it easier to dupe victims.

“Your voice, your photos, everything you post, as well as messaging platforms, chat rooms, etc. are accessible to these criminals, and they will use that information and exploit it to their advantage,” Duffy said.

Annette said it was the bank that reported the plan and contacted her as she was acting as her brother’s power of attorney. They then decided to abandon the elaborate plan.

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

“There are four iPads and two iPhones that he uses to make monthly payments,” Annette said.

She reached out to us after hitting roadblocks with AT&T, which she said would not 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 spokesman said the situation underscores the importance of protecting personal account information.

“All you need is some ID to get scammed, and we do that in conversation,” Annette said.

The FBI said many victims do not come forward out of shame, so the real impact of this scheme is likely much greater than reported. They call on victims to report the crime so that they can track down the perpetrators. You can do this at the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov