Police in Marion County said an Ocala woman has lost $50,000 after she fell victim to a scam via an online dating website.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said the woman, 66, met the suspect via a popular online dating site. Investigators said as their online relationship progressed; the victim told detectives she wired $50,000 to help him build a bridge in Malaysia that he was working on as the contractor.
The sheriff’s office warns people that if something looks too good to be true then it is most likely some form of a scam.
If you know a scammer has made contact with you log on to the Internet Crime Complaint Center website at www.ic3.gov to report it and also call your local law enforcement agency.
A free workshop is being held in October at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office in Ocala. Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater will be conducting a workshop called Operation S.A.F.E. (Stop Adult Financial Exploitation), for seniors, their families, and caregivers from 10 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 16th, in the Multi-Purpose Room at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, 3300 NW 10th Street, Ocala, FL 34475. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m.