A 92-year-old man living in an assisted living facility in Sun City Center, Florida, has lost a staggering $800,000 after falling victim to what police say was a romance and banking scam orchestrated by a convicted fraudster.
The man behind it all is alleged to be 37-year-old Otiz Swinton Jr., who’s now back behind bars after being arrested in Orlando on 30 April. Authorities say he ran a complex scam that preyed on the victim’s loneliness and isolation.
“This was an individual who was lonely,” said Amanda Granit, spokesperson for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, speaking to Fox 13 Tampa Bay. “[He] didn’t have family or friends in the area. He was in a facility, and he was looking for a connection. And unfortunately, he found it in the wrong place”, reported Moneywise.
It turns out this isn’t Swinton Jr.’s first brush with the law. Police revealed he was already serving a prison sentence when he first reached out to the victim. His past record includes a major case from seven years ago where he was convicted of stealing more than $1 million from over 50 people, many of them also from Sun City Center.
Back then, he reportedly tricked seniors into thinking their credit cards had suspicious charges and convinced them to post their cards to him to fix the supposed issue. Now, police believe he’s returned to scamming vulnerable older adults, this time blending financial deceit with emotional manipulation.
In the recent case, investigators say the victim was persuaded to transfer large sums from his Fidelity investment account into his Wells Fargo account, only for the money to be funnelled out through various routes. The funds were allegedly moved using crypto platforms, peer-to-peer payments, ATM withdrawals and other sneaky methods.
Between 13 March and 2 April alone, five fake cheques were reportedly made out to Swinton Jr. from the victim’s account, adding up to around $14,300. Another $5,000-plus was spent on the elderly man’s credit card, all without his knowledge, according to Fox 13.
Romance scams like this are sadly far from rare. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) had already logged 13,768 reports of romance-related fraud by the end of March this year, with losses reaching a jaw-dropping $280 million.
To avoid becoming another statistic, the FTC advises never to send money, gift cards or cryptocurrency to someone you haven’t met in person. It’s also wise to be cautious if a new online connection refuses to meet face-to-face, makes big financial promises or shares photos that seem too good to be true. A reverse image search can help spot stolen images. And it always helps to talk things through with someone you trust, just to get a second opinion.
In this Florida case, the man targeted was 92 and completely alone, which made him especially vulnerable. Granit stressed how crucial it is for families and carers to stay involved in the lives of their elderly loved ones. When someone starts showing signs of confusion or being taken advantage of, it might be time to consider stepping in and taking over financial responsibilities to protect them.