(Truth Voices) — A Michigan judge ordered a 70-year-old woman to stop sending money to a scammer she believed she was romantically involved with after meeting online.
Jackson resident Holly Locke consented to a court order that prevents her from further interactions with what appeared to be an international fraud ring, as per a Justice Department news release.
The incident involved a romance scam where fraudsters create fake romantic or friendly relationships with strangers online and subsequently request money.
“If the victim lacks funds to send, scammers sometimes use the victim as a conduit to route payments from other victims to themselves,” the news release indicated.
Locke was accused of serving as a money transmitter for an individual she romantically engaged with online. She soon started receiving packages with money from other strangers, which she forwarded to the suspected scammer.
Locke did not admit liability as part of the consent decree she agreed to.
The Justice Department advises consumers to stay alert to signs that someone might be trying to involve them in receiving and transmitting fraudulent funds.
To avoid falling victim, people should refrain from agreeing to receive money or checks mailed to them or sent to their bank accounts by someone they met online or over the phone.
The department also cautions against opening bank or cryptocurrency accounts on someone else’s instructions.
