In 2025, a 69-year-old Mesa retiree lost her home and savings to a scammer posing as a US Navy officer on Facebook
She thought she’d found love on Facebook. Instead, a fake Navy officer’s scam cost her house and savings. Now this Mesa retiree is warning others.
In 2025, a 69-year-old retiree named Susan from Mesa, Arizona, lost her home and savings of $70,300 to a romance scam. Susan received a Facebook message from a man called Stephen, who claimed to be a Navy officer stationed in Iraq. The scam began with friendly conversations, but Stephen quickly escalated the relationship with romantic messages and promises of gifts.
Susan sent him $1,200 in cash before realizing she had been scammed. She then sold her four-bedroom house and sent him more money, totaling $70,300. Susan only recognized the scam when she mentioned the payments to her financial adviser while trying to get a car loan. Romance scams, often involving social media and claims of military service, are becoming increasingly common, with nearly 70,000 reported incidents in 2022 leading to losses of $1.3 billion.
Susan's story aims to warn others about these scams, which often involve requests for money to clear customs issues.
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