Reddit Scam Pattern
Romance scammers targeting older adults via social media
4 reports · first seen 1 May 2026 · last seen 1 May 2026
Scammers establish rapid online romantic relationships with older adults via platforms such as Facebook, then progressively extract funds through gift cards, wire transfers, and couriered cheques while encouraging secrecy from family members.
How the scam works
Social media relationship impersonation with escalating financial extraction via multiple payment channels and deliberate family isolation tactics.
Brands impersonated
Member posts on Reddit (4)
- (US) - My Mom’s Scammer is Real This Time- What Should We Do?
An 87-year-old woman is being cultivated by a 40-year-old man named 'Omar', raising concerns of a romance scam after she previously lost $18,000.
reddit · 26 Apr 2026 · romance_scam
- My Dad is a victim of a Romance Scam
A 75-year-old man met a purported 27-year-old woman on Facebook three weeks ago and has already sent thousands of dollars and booked a flight to Greece to marry her.
reddit · 26 Apr 2026 · romance_scam
- My mother is going to transfer 15k to a scammer. And I cannot stop it. What else could I do?
Victim's mother has had her bank accounts drained and is now borrowing money and pawning belongings to send to a romance scammer.
reddit · 29 Apr 2026 · romance_scam
- [Can] Grandma sending money to states
Elderly woman is attempting to send money via gift cards, wire transfer, and cheque to an unknown party in the US, maintaining secrecy from family.
reddit · 29 Apr 2026 · romance_scam