Athens woman, 84, takes out $200,000 loan in romance scam, might lose her home

An Athens woman is likely to lose her home as a result of taking out a home equity loan to send money to a stranger overseas.

The 84-year-old woman fell victim to what authorities term a “romance scam," according to Athens-Clarke police.

A friend of the woman reported the scam to police on Dec. 3 after he was assisting the woman with her computer and discovered the con.

Police and the friend estimated the woman’s losses at nearly $200,000.

“She took out a $200,000 line of credit (on her home) through her bank and there is only about $7,000 left,” police detective Daniel Freeland said.

Freeland, who is investigating the case, said he has obtained bank statements and other evidence that shows the woman and the con artist established a relationship over a period of almost two years.

The IP (Internet Protocol) for the scammer shows Nigeria, Freeland said about the address linked to the unknown suspect's computer.

Conned out of a home: Athens woman sells home to give money to con artist

“She thinks this is a real person who has invested a lot of time and energy communicating with her. She is older and alone,” the detective said about two reasons she may have fallen for the ruse. “Who knows what that money is being used for.”

Freeland said he spoke with the bank manager who explained the woman took out the loan and since she can’t pay it back, she will likely lose her home.

“Romance scams are hard for us because the problem is if it’s consensual, we can’t prove to a jury that this is a scam unless they promise something in return,” he said.

“When it’s, ‘I need money. Will you send me some?’ and someone does, there is no crime,” he said. In this case, the person communicated that he needed money for several reasons including a car and his rent.

The woman sent the money in multiple ways including money transfers and she also sent boxes of cash.

Romance Scam: Athens man confronts a scammer about stealing $60,000. See these tips to avoid the cons.

Freeland recalled another case this year in which a 75-year-old Athens woman actually sold her home to send money to a con artist, who also targeted her in a romance scam. After a period of time, the woman realized she was being defrauded and reported it to police.

On its website, the FBI said the criminals who carry out romance scams are experts who seem genuine, caring and believable. These people find their targets on dating and social media sites.

“Scammers may propose marriage and make plans to meet in person, but that will never happen. Eventually they will ask for money,” the FBI reported.

People who are victims of fraud can report the crime to the Federal Trade Commission at its website www.ftc.gov/.

The FTC reported it cannot resolve an individual report, but can use the information to bring cases against fraud and bad business practices.

Know the signs of a scam

The Better Business Bureau offers these tips about con artists who are baiting their victims:

Too hot to be true. Scammers offer up good-looking photos and tales of financial success. Be honest with yourself about who would be genuinely interested.

In a hurry to get off the site. Catfishers will try very quickly to get you to move to communicate through email, messenger, or phone.

Moving fast. A catfisher will begin speaking of a future together and tell you they love you quickly. They often say they’ve never felt this way before.

Talk about trust. Catfishers will start manipulating you with talk about trust and its importance. This will often be the first step to asking you for money.

Don’t want to meet. Be wary of someone who always has an excuse to postpone a meeting because they say they are traveling or live overseas or are in the military.

Hard luck stories. Before moving on to asking you for money, the scammer may hint at financial troubles like heat being cut off or a stolen car, or a sick relative, or they may share a sad story from their past.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: An Athens woman may lose her home due to help a person she never met