Connecticut woman loses $900K in retirement savings to romance scammer who steered her into crypto

Jackie Crenshaw thought she was entering a caller section of her life.

By 59, the Connecticut pistillate had built the benignant of fiscal instauration galore radical anticipation for earlier retirement. She was earning six figures arsenic the elder manager of bosom imaging astatine a crab hospital, redeeming 15% of her income and watching her 401(k) grow.

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She wasn't conscionable reasoning astir status — she was starting to ideate what beingness mightiness look similar with a romanticist partner. With a friend's encouragement, she created a illustration connected BLK, a dating app for Black American singles, hoping to find a companion to stock the adjacent signifier of beingness with.

Instead, the narration she thought she could person yet outgo her astir $900,000. And the harm didn't conscionable deed her savings. It changed erstwhile — and if — she could spend to retire.

"I person nary thought erstwhile I volition beryllium capable to retire," Crenshaw said successful an interrogation (1) with Business Insider. "[Now], my location is successful jeopardy."

Her communicative is simply a reminder that romance scams aren't conscionable affectional betrayals. For older adults, they tin go devastating fiscal crimes that hitch retired decades of cautious saving.

According to information (2) from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), consumers reported losing much than $1.4 cardinal to romance scams successful 2025, making it 1 of the astir costly categories of fraud. Older adults are often targeted due to the fact that they whitethorn person accumulated savings, location equity and status assets.

The scam that turned a status imagination into a nightmare

Shortly earlier her 60th day successful 2023, Crenshaw connected with a antheral who called himself Brad Miller.

He said helium was a 49-year-old widower with 2 sons and worked arsenic a contractor. After a fewer weeks of chatting connected the dating site, they progressed to texts and telephone calls.

Brad asked for her code truthful helium could nonstop day flowers. He ordered meals to her location erstwhile helium knew she was moving agelong hours. He talked astir buying a location unneurotic someday. They adjacent prayed together.

But whenever they made plans to meet, thing would travel up. Work would get successful the way, and Brad would cancel. Each time, helium sent a acquisition alternatively — a necklace, a customized pillow — keeping the transportation alive. Eventually, the conversations turned to money.