WHEN THE SCAMMER EXTORTS THE ULTIMATE PRICE.

 WHEN THE SCAMMER EXTORTS THE ULTIMATE PRICE.

💔There’s no comprehensive global or national database that precisely tracks the  suicide specifically linked to romance scams, as this is often under reported due to stigma, shame, or lack of centralized reporting.

👉However, available evidence from studies and our own experience, news reports, and law enforcement suggests a disturbing connection between romance scams and suicidal behavior, through  emotional devastation,social humiliation and financial loss.

💔Anecdotal Evidence and Case Studies: Multiple reports highlight individual cases where romance scams led to suicide or suicide attempts.

For example:

💔A 2010 case in the UK involved a 58-year-old man who died by suicide after losing £82,000 in a romance scam.

💔In 2019, a woman in Austin, Texas, took her own life after losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in a romance scam.

💔A 2023 case in Tennessee reported a 74-year-old man dying by suicide after being scammed out of over $87,000 in a celebrity romance scam.

💔A 2023 case we had at ScamHaters United, two Myanmar friends were contacted. One was romanced and offered a life with her Marine and move to the USA. She was encouraged to 'invest' in bitcoin with him. Also to borrow to invest and he'd pay back soon. It was all fake and the amount borrowed was the same as 2 years wages in Myanmar. She took her own life.

💔A 2024 report described a grandfather who ended his life after a "pig butchering" romance scam drained his life savings.

💔2024 when a mother took her own life after her scam. Her scammer called and answered family, laughing at their distress.

💔2025... A woman took her own life after a romance scam followed by a lot of harassment from her scammers. Using a well know ex-military man she came to have deep feelings for him. The hurt drove her to the ultimate end, taking an overdose of medication. Leaving a very grieving family.

👉In the past we are aware of two men whose identity was used in crime. Not just being used, both men had other mental health problems but we know both men hated it and struggled with it.

🧠Mental Health Impact: Romance scams often lead to severe psychological distress, including symptoms akin to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. Some victims experience "exceptional  romantic imagery," where intense emotional attachment to the scammer persists even after the fraud is revealed, increasing suicide risk.

💰Extortion and Suicide: A related issue, sextortion (where victims are blackmailed with explicit images), has been linked to suicides, particularly among younger victims. In the US, sextortion cases rose to 26,700 in 2023, with at least 27 reported suicides among teenage boys in the past two years. In one awful case two young Nigerians were extradited to the USA after repeating over and over for the young man to kill himself over how he felt. It was cruel and all for money.

🌎It is noted that suicides linked to scams are likely underreported.  AARP’s Fraud Watch Network reports that referring romance scam victims to suicide hotlines is now a "daily occurrence," indicating a significant but unquantified issue. The harshness of scammers we have noticed here has changed and moved up significantly. They are emboldened to push and push as they face no consequences.

👉Risk Factors: Financial ruin, social isolation, and betrayal exacerbate suicide risk. Older adults, particularly men over 85, are at high risk, though all age groups are affected. Victims with pre-existing mental health issues or recent life changes (e.g., divorce, bereavement) are especially vulnerable.

🌎Scale of Romance Scams:In 2022, the US Federal Trade Commission reported nearly 70,000 romance scam cases with $1.3 billion in losses, though this doesn’t specify suicides. This is also hugely under estimated as we know less than 5% are reported and doesn't take into consideration around the world.

🌎In Europe, 1-3% of the population report being romance scam victims, (a very great under representation because of not accepting reports in many European countries) with financial losses in Sweden alone reaching 52 million euros annually.

💔The emotional toll, including shame and loss of trust, often compounds the financial devastation, pushing some victims toward self-harm or suicide.

👹Scammers use psychological manipulation (e.g., love bombing, grooming) to deepen emotional dependence, which can make the betrayal particularly crushing.

💔Sextortion’s Role: The rise in sextortion, often overlapping with romance scams, adds another layer of risk, particularly for younger victims who face public humiliation. Older victims face the dear of humiliation too.

💔Recommendations: If you or someone you know is a victim, stop contact with the scammer and report to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (ic3.gov).Always report to local Police. Some are good and some not so good but ALL scams need to be reported. The world does not know the extent of this horrendous human crime.

💔Seek mental health support immediately. In the US, call or text 988 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. In the UK, contact Samaritans at 116 123.

💔Victim support programs like AARP’s VOA ReST or Cybercrime Support Network’s Peer Support Program offer emotional and practical help. ScamHaters United can help, we listen!

💔The connection between romance scams and suicide is real. The emotional and financial toll can be catastrophic, and public health efforts need to address this growing crisis with better data and support systems. 

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