CHARLOTTE — 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.
“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.
VIDEO: Seniors lose millions over sweetheart scams
©2023 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
