When Simon’s wife of 43 years died, the loss left him struggling with a loneliness he had never known. Like many widows and widowers, he eventually turned online, hoping to find some companionship. Instead, he found Emily. The woman seemed real. The conversations continued and a relationship began to take shape. But Emily did not exist as Simon believed she did. She was part of an online scam, and over the next few months, Simon lost $800,000 from his retirement savings. The money was devastating enough. What followed made matters worse. According to an investigation by The Associated Press and FRONTLINE, Simon was left with $185,000 in borrowed money to repay and tens of thousands of dollars in additional taxes on funds he had withdrawn and subsequently lost. He reported the crime to local police and the FBI, but said he received little meaningful help. Then came another scammer. This time, someone contacted Simon claiming they could connect him with the Secret Service and help recover his stolen money, for an additional fee.
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