Criminals steal $39k from widow in romance scam

“I just hit the answer button without thinking,” she says, “and he said, ‘Hi, honey, how are you?’ ” She told him she’d lost everything — describing the fire and her financial destitution.

“That’s terrible,” he said, according to Kleinert, “but listen, I need a $150 gift card. So can you send me that today?” Astounded, she repeated the fact that she had no money left, she

says, “and he said, ‘I know you have money. Your friend started a GoFundMe page for you.’ My hair on the back of my neck stood up straight.” She gave him nothing. “I told him I hope he

burned in hell for what he had done to me and probably a lot of other women.” From there, she says, “the only way to go was up. I could either decide to curl up in a ball in the corner and

stay there the rest of my life, or I could step up and move on, which is what I chose to do.” FIGHTING BACK Soon after she realized Tony was a fake, Kleinert reached out to the AARP Fraud

Watch Network Helpline (877-908-3360), where trained volunteers provide fraud victims and family members support and guidance on what to do next. After helping her with her immediate issues,

Helpline staff asked if she’d share her experience with others, she says, “and I willingly did that, and I still willingly do that.” She’s since moved to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania —

“which I’ve always loved,” she says — where she joined a church choir and made friends. Kleinert is a volunteer for AARP’s Pennsylvania office and an AARP spokesperson on fraud. She

participates in tele-town halls about scams and fraud, sharing her story at events around the country. “It has brought me such a sense of healing,” Kleinert says. “Not just telling my story,

which in itself is healing, [but] looking at the faces and seeing people nodding their heads like, ‘Yeah, I’ve been in that situation,’ or ‘I know how that feels,’ and having people come up

to me after and whisper in my ear when they’re hugging me, ‘I’m in a scam myself.’ ” She offers them support and advice, urging potential victims to trust their instincts: “If your gut is

telling you there’s something wrong here, listen to it,” she tells them. She’s been called a “warrior against romance scams,” she notes, because “I am angry about this and how it hurts

people.” Kleinert embraces this unexpectedly satisfying new chapter in her life: “I am a much stronger person. And I am a much better person, because I’m so willing to speak to other people

and give that part of myself to whoever needs it. Here I am — 71, and I’m out speaking and really busy with this stuff. It’s wonderful.” ROMANCE SCAMS: A HUGE PROBLEM Kleinert’s costly

nightmare is not uncommon. Reported losses to romance scams totaled $1.14 billion in 2023, with median losses per person of $2,000 — the highest reported losses for any form of impostor

scam, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The actual amount lost is probably far higher, because fraud victims are often reluctant to report these crimes. Con artists prowl most

dating and social media sites, the FBI warns, advising: * If you suspect an online relationship is a scam, stop all contact immediately. * When using dating sites and apps, you should not

send money to someone you have only talked to online or by phone. RESOURCES AND SUPPORT * Learn about the warning signs for romance scams at the AARP Fraud Resource Center. * Call AARP Fraud

Watch Network Helpline toll-free (877-908-3360), as noted above, for resources about scams, guidance for victims on next steps and more. * The VOA ReST (Resilience, Strength and Time)

program, a collaboration between AARP and Volunteers of America, offers free online facilitated emotional support sessions for fraud victims. You can attend as many sessions as you’d like;

just register in advance online.