Losses from ‘sweetheart scams’ climb to $5.8M in North Carolina in 2022

The suitor claimed to be country singer Kenny Chesney. But in actuality, he was a scammer — soliciting gift card after gift card from a woman in Raleigh, according to a complaint filed by her niece with the North Carolina Department of Justice last year.

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“She is not sure how much money her aunt has sent in total,” reads a summary from NCDOJ. “She sends gift cards for $25-$250 at a time.”

It’s a common scenario — referred to by officials as a “sweetheart” or “romance” scam — where victims send money thinking they’re in a relationship with someone they met online. But in actuality, they’re being scammed by a stranger. And the damage is rising in North Carolina, new numbers show.

Last year the NCDOJ received 60 complaints involving sweetheart scams. Fifty-five victims lost nearly $5.8 million, according to what they told the state. The average loss was just over $104,900.

Read more here.

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