Fort Worth woman accused of an “elaborate sweetheart swindle” where she conned an elderly Indiana man into sending her more than $1 million, court documents say.
An affidavit filed in Tarrant County Tuesday outlines a saga that began on Twitter where investigators said Rew struck up a relationship with David Tieman who “empathized with Rew’s story that her daughter needed help paying medical expenses.”
In the span of a year-and-a-half, Tieman told investigators that he sent Rew approximately $1,200,000, mostly from his personal IRA, along with a mutual fund, checking and savings accounts, cash advances and personal loans. "Unfortunately, online dating creates great opportunities for scammers,” said Federal Trade Commission Regional Director Matthew Wernz.Sign up for NBC DFW newslettersWernz said romance scams are on the rise, costing Americans $1,300,000,000 over the last five years. That's more than any other kind of fraud.
While the increase in cases is most striking for people ages 18 to 29, Wernz said the reported median loss is highest for those 70 and older. "The numbers are so great that it really is a testament to how easy it is for someone to get lured into a romance scam, even if they're not actively looking for dating opportunities online. Scammers often use really pressing needs that they have for money to convince someone of their needs,” he said.
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