Romance scams are a type of bamboozling wherein the scammer creates a fake online identity to gain the trust and affection of a poor, lonely sap, only to steal as much money as they can from them. This is not to be confused with Gold Diggers, who at least have the decency to show their face and go on dates and have terrible sex.
Now, a 30-year-old woman from Miramar, Florida, faces up to 10 years in prison for taking part in a romance scam that stole $2.7 million from unsuspecting lonely elderly folks.
The FBI says Cristine Petitfrere and her conspirators scammed old people from Arizona, Indiana, and Virginia with fake online personas. Then, she laundered the money through an LLC called GlamGoddessArtistry and sent the money to her scammer buddies in Ghana.
The full list of her crimes includes money laundering, illegal money remitting, and engaging in transactions with criminal proceeds. While she did funnel most of the money to her friends in Africa, she kept hundreds of thousands for herself.
According to the FTC, Americans lost $1.14 billion to romance scams in 2023, a slight decrease from the $1.3 billion Americans lost to romance scams in 2022. Progress!
Some of the most common tactics used in romance scams involve fake stories about illnesses, urgent financial needs, and military service. They usually involve payment methods like cryptocurrency or gift cards. Basically, the run-of-the-mill garbage you hope your Gmail account automatically sends sense to your spam folder.
Petitfrere is set to be sentenced on December 11, 2024, and faces up to 10 years. That is unless you, my love, my dearest reader, can please send monies totaling $1.5 million in cryptocurrencies and Olive Garden gift cards to me ASAP for help needed in saving romance scam woman. Pls send now xoxo.
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The post Romance Scammer Pleads Guilty to Stealing $2.7 Million in South Florida appeared first on VICE.
