ROUNDABOUT FORCE DRIVERS TO SLOW DOWN, WHICH HELPS TO IMPROVE SAFETY. >> I GOT SCAMMED BIG-TIME AND HURTS. IT HURTS FINANCIALLY. IT HURTS EMOTIONALLY. >> WESTFIELD WOMAN SAYS IT WASN'T LOVE. IT WAS A PERFECT ILLUSION THAT ILLUSION TURNED OUT TO BE A SOPHISTICATED SCAM. TONIGHT SHE'S SHARING HER STORY IN THE HOPES OF PROTECTING OTHERS. VALENTINE'S DAY IS JUST 2 WEEKS AWAY. WRTV INVESTIGATES KARA KENNEY IS DIGGING INTO WHY ROMANCE SCAMS ARE NOW ON THE RISE. IT'S A STORY YOU NEED TO SHARE WITH ANYONE LOOKING FOR LOVE. >> ROMANCE SCAMS ARE SKYROCKETING. COMPLAINTS GREW 25% FROM 2019 TO 2021, ACCORDING TO THE FBI, WESTFIELD WOMAN SAYS MONEY ISN'T THE ONLY THING SHE LOST >> PADRE GROUPS BECAME A WIDOW IN 2020 IT WAS LONELY AFTER THAT USING A DATING WEBSITE, THE WESTFIELD WOMAN MET HER MATCH. A MAN NAMED LEWIS. >> AND HE TOLD ME IS AGE AND THIS 62 AND I TOLD HIM I WAS 83 AT THE TIME AND HE AGE IS JUST A NUMBER. I DON'T CARE. >> PAT SAYS LEWIS HAD AN ACCIDENT THAT MADE IT HARD TO UNDERSTAND HIM ON THE PHONE. HE ENCOURAGED PAD TO TAX WITH HIM AWAY FROM THE DATING WEBSITE. THEY TEXTED A LOT EXCHANGING HUNDREDS OF INTIMATE MESSAGES FOR MONTHS. LIKE THIS ONE. GOOD MORNING, MY QUEEN. I HOPE YOU HAD ENOUGH REST LAST NIGHT. I PRAY FOR BLESSINGS AND GRACE FOR BOTH OF US. I LOVE YOU. >> AND IT GOT ROMANTIC. AND SO THE CAN'T WAIT TO BE WITH MEAN, HE JUST DREW IN. AND I FELL IN LOVE WITH IT. I FELL IN WITH HIM. >> IN THOSE TAX, LEWIS SENT PICTURES SUPPOSEDLY OF HIMSELF. >> AND HE ASKED ME SEND THE PICTURES. YOU KNOW, HE SAYS YOU'RE ACTUALLY >> PAT SAYS LEWIS CLAIMED TO BE WORKING FOR A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY IN MONTREAL AND MADE PLANS TO VISIT EVEN SENDING HER A PICTURE OF PLANE TICKET. >> PROBABLY SPEND 24 HOURS AND BAD. I SAID NOW, LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU ARRIVE. SO I CAN COME PICK YOU UP. I MEAN, NEVER. THEY HAD. >> OVER THE COURSE OF 6 MONTHS, LEWIS CONVINCE PAT TO SEND HIM 5 CHECKS TO HELP WITH HIS BUSINESS MONEY SHE THOUGHT WAS GOING TO HER LOVER INSTEAD POCKETED BY SCAMMERS $98,547. >> WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THAT TOTAL? >> MAKES ME ILL. I JUST I WANT TO THROW UP THAT I WAS THAT LONG. DOUBLE. >> PAT BECAME SUSPICIOUS WHEN LEWIS CENTER THIS CONTRACT ASKING HER FOR HALF A MILLION DOLLARS TO INVEST IN HIS BUSINESS. IT LISTED A FORT WAYNE ADDRESS, BUT WHEN PAT CHECKED IT OUT IN PERSON, IT WAS BOGUS. >> AND THEN HE STOPPED CALLING YOU STOP TEXTING AFTER ABOUT 30 DAYS WHEN HE REALIZED I DIDN'T HAVE ANY MORE MONEY. >> WHAT WAS THIS LIKE EMOTIONALLY? I WAS HEARTBROKEN. ROMANCE SCAMS ARE BIG BUSINESS FOR CRIMINALS. THEY PREY ON YOUR HEARTSTRINGS NATIONWIDE. THE COST AMERICANS NEARLY 1 BILLION DOLLARS IN 2021. THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT IN ROMANCE SCAMS. SCOTT BARNHART IS THE DIRECTOR OF CONSUMER PROTECTION AT THE INDIANA ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE. WHY NOT CATCH THESE GUYS? WILL THESE ARE VERY SOPHISTICATED OPERATIONS. LOT OF THIS IS OFFSHORE. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO >> PURSUE THESE INDIVIDUALS IN FOREIGN ENTITIES AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES. THEY FOCUS ON ON GETTING THE MONEY HERE. BUT ONCE IT GETS OFFSHORE IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO TRACK IT AND TRACE IT AND TRY TO. >> TO CATCH BAD GUYS. BARNHART SAYS PAT MISS COMMON RED FLAGS INCLUDING ENCOURAGING YOU TO COMMUNICATE OFF THE DATING SITE, ASKING YOU TO INVEST IN THEIR BUSINESS AND NOT WANTING TO MEET IN PERSON INSTEAD RELYING ON PHOTOS WHERE THOSE PICTURES COMING FROM. THERE ARE MILLIONS OF IMAGES ONLINE THAT SCAMMERS HAVE ACCESS TO AND CAN PULL OFF OF SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. WRTV INVESTIGATES USE REVERSED IMAGING ON THE PHOTOS LEWIS SENT TO PAT AND WE COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING. >> WHY ARE THE SCAM SO LUCRATIVE? SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT PHISHING SCAMS, WE THINK ABOUT OTHER SCAMS. IT'S ONE HIT AND OUT. >> THESE ARE SO LUCRATIVE BECAUSE PEOPLE CONVINCE THEMSELVES WILL THIS PERSON'S BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH ME FOR MONTHS? THERE'S NO WAY THAT THIS IS A SCAM. A FAMILY MEMBER FILED COMPLAINTS ON PASS BEHALF WITH WESTFIELD POLICE AND THE FBI LOOKING BACK AT EVERYTHING IN KNOWING WHAT YOU KNOW NOW, HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL? >> MAKES ME FEEL HORRIBLE. MAKES FEEL DIRTY. MAKES ME FEEL STUPID. >> PAT ISN'T CONFIDENT SHE'LL GET HER MONEY BACK. BUT SHE IS CONFIDENT ABOUT ONE THING. >> DO YOU THINK YOU'LL FIND LOVE AGAIN? YEAH, BUT NOT THAT WORRIED. NEVER BE SCAMMED AGAIN. >> YOU CAN PROTECT YOURSELF BY NEVER SENDING MONEY TO SOMEONE YOU'VE NEVER MET IN PERSON, CUT OFF CONTACT IF THEY ASKED FOR YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION LIKE YOUR CREDIT CARD OR BANK ACCOUNT NUMBERS WORKING FOR YOU CARE. KENNY WRTV. WE DID REACH OUT TO WESTVILLE POLICE ABOUT PATZ CASE. >> AND THE ASSISTANT CHIEF TOLD US, QUOTE, I'VE ASKED OUR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS DIVISION TO ASSESS THIS REPORT AND DETERMINE IF ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATIVE ACTIONS ARE WARRANTED. WE ALSO REACHED OUT
