From July 2024 to April 2026, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio, three people used dating websites and social media to build close relationships with older Americans under fake names, then got them to wire money. Victims lost more than $9 million.
They lived in Ohio, 24 other states, Germany and Austria.
Two of the three pleaded guilty on October 13 and the third on October 20. Sentencing is set for February 9 and 10, 2027. The release gives no victim ages and no script, so what follows is about the pattern, not any one person.
Why the facts may not land
If your parent believes in a relationship, evidence that the person is not real can feel like an attack on the relationship, and on them. The release describes people building closeness over time, which is the kind of tie that does not break because an adult child objects.
Stay someone they will still answer
You do not have to win the argument about whether the person is real. You need to remain the person your parent calls. Ask what they like about the relationship and listen.
A parent who feels judged tends to stop telling you things, which is the outcome you most want to avoid. Keep the visits, the calls and the ordinary news going, so that if something changes you are still one of the first people they tell.
Secrecy is what these relationships tend to rely on, and you can be the opposite of secret. Say that you will not report anything to anyone behind their back, and then keep that promise.
Keep the money in the open
The release describes wired transfers to accounts the defendants controlled, so the moment you can see is the request itself. Ask your parent to agree on one thing, and only one: before any money goes to this person, the two of you look at the request together.
You are not asking them to end anything.
If money has already gone, the National Elder Fraud Hotline is 833-FRAUD-11, or 833-372-8311, as the Justice Department's October 28 release lists.
If this is your family
Try one sentence: "I'm not asking you to end this. I'm asking that we look at any money request together before it goes." Say it once, calmly, and then talk about something else. It leaves the relationship alone and puts a second pair of eyes on the only part that costs money.
Sources
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Ohio, October 26, 2026: Three Plead Guilty to Roles in $9M Romance Fraud Scams Targeting Older Americans
U.S. Department of Justice, October 28, 2026: Justice Department Releases Eighth Annual Elder Justice Report