Professional scammers continue to evolve their tactics, using deceit, manipulation, and emotional exploitation to prey on unsuspecting victims. One Sioux Falls woman recently learned this the hard way after losing nearly $60,000 in an elaborate online scam that spanned more than nine months.
According to Dakota News Now, the 66-year-old victim was first contacted via Facebook by a man she had never met in person. Their conversations soon moved to a separate messaging app, where they continued to communicate regularly for several months.
During that time, the scammer crafted a convincing story. He told the victim that he had been in an accident in Mexico City and was hospitalized, which explained his sudden unavailability. He then began making frequent requests for money, citing several different reasons why he needed the cash.
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Dakota News Now reports that, throughout the course of their online relationship, the victim sent approximately $60,000 in gift card information to the scammer…