HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, in collaboration with AARP Connecticut, has initiated a public service announcement designed to combat the online exploitation of older adults, emphasizing the increasing danger posed by romance and investment scams.
The PSA narrates the experience of Jackie Crenshaw, a 61-year-old breast imaging manager from East Haven, who fell victim to an international online romance scam, resulting in a loss of nearly $1 million. Crenshaw encountered a man named “Brandon” on a dating platform. Over the course of several months, she engaged with him through phone calls, text messages, and gifts. He persuaded her to invest in a supposed cryptocurrency venture, supplying counterfeit receipts that indicated rapid growth of her investment. In order to invest further, Crenshaw took out loans against her retirement savings and home.
Initially, she reported a suspicious $100,000 check to local law enforcement and her bank; however, it required a year-long investigation, which included a tip from an anonymous source, to verify that she had been the target of a sophisticated scam.
As per the FBI’s Internet Crime Report, Americans lodged 859,532 complaints regarding internet crimes in 2024, leading to losses amounting to $16.6 billion. Adults aged 60 and above represented 147,127 of these complaints, resulting in $4.86 billion in losses, with 7,626 complaints specifically related to romance scams, which caused $389 million in losses.
“Jackie Crenshaw did everything right, yet she was still scammed,” Tong said. “She is bravely sharing her story to prevent others from being harmed. Thousands of older adults each year lose their life savings to these scams. Together with AARP, we are sharing this information across the airwaves to help stop scams before they start.”
The PSA, produced in partnership with the Connecticut Broadcasters Association, will air on television and radio over the next 16 weeks.
Attorney General Tong and AARP provided several tips to avoid romance scams:
- Never send money or gifts to someone you haven’t met in person, including cryptocurrency or gift cards.
- Keep communications on the dating platform; scammers often ask to move off-site to avoid detection.
- Insist on in-person meetings before giving personal information.
- Watch for “love bombing,” excessive gestures of affection intended to manipulate trust.
- Consult a financial adviser before investing, especially in schemes suggested by a new online partner.
- Use reverse image searches to verify online profiles, though results may be imperfect.
For assistance, seniors can contact the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360 or the Connecticut Elder Justice Hotline at 860-808-5555. Online resources and a complaint portal are available at https://portal.ct.gov/ag/elderhotline.
The Elder Justice Hotline, launched in 2021 by the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office in partnership with the Coalition for Elder Justice in Connecticut, provides guidance, referrals, and advocacy for older adults facing fraud or exploitation.
