The consequences of falling for a romance scam can be devastating, both financially and emotionally. They're something a 67-year-old woman who now lives in her car in Vista knows all too well.
Katherine Goodson told NBC San Diego that she sent thousands of dollars to scammers, thinking it was for actor Keanu Reeves. She decided to share her story to prevent others from losing it all, as she did.
I don't blame anyone but myself.
Katherine Goodson, scam victim
Before you make any judgments, you should know that romance scams are very common. According to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, $1.1 billion was lost to romance scams in the U.S. In 2023, San Diego County victims lost $1.3 million.
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“There is nothing that hasn’t already been done to make me feel any worse,” Goodson said when NBC San Diego warned her she may receive unkind comments on this story.
An internet search shows victims all over the country who've fallen for celebrity romance scams, with Keanu Reeves one of the more popular actors scammers like to imitate. His reps have said in the past that he doesn’t have any social media accounts.
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“Unfortunately, I wasn’t maybe listening to the warning signs,” Goodson said. “I don’t blame anyone but myself.”
So how did Goodson end up here? She said it all started in 2022 when she connected with someone claiming to be Reeves. He asked her to send him a $500 gift card to prove she wasn’t just interested in his fame and money.
“I did send it, but said, ‘I want to hear your voice,’ and once I heard his voice, I said, ‘You’re not him,’ and I blocked him,” Goodson said.
Goodson posted a warning on social media about how she was duped by an imposter. Then, she received a message from the real Reeves – or so she thought – saying he felt awful that she lost money to a scam.
They started messaging, and, she said, they fell in love: “He wanted to marry me.”
The scammers are really, really, really good.
Aunshul Rege, Temple University professor
Goodson showed NBC San Diego dozens of receipts for Bitcoin and gift card transactions, as well as wire transfers, a total of tens of thousands of dollars she thought she was sending to Reeves and his team over two years.
When asked how she was convinced to send money over and over again, Goodson responded, “Well, No. 1: I was lonely.”
Goodson said she constantly asked to speak with or meet Reeves in person, but there was always an excuse. She said the scammers always had a good reason why she needed to send money, too.
While it seems hard for Goodson to explain now, she said it all made sense to her in the moment.
“The scammers are really, really, really good,” said Temple University Professor Aunshul Rege, who studies romance scams.
“This is not like any other type of financial scam where they get your money and you’re done,” Rege said. “They also rob you of the very essence of what makes a human.”
Rege said it’s common for them to isolate you and get you into a communication platform of their choice.
Another red flag is if they are overly affectionate.
“It’s called love bombing," Rege said. "And what they do, they’re just showering you with all this attention and affection.”
Then the scammer will ask for something, usually gift cards. If they refuse to meet with you, that’s another big red flag.
Goodson said the messages turned hostile in August when she ran out of money, and that’s when she finally fully accepted it as all a scam.
“It was just a mess,” Goodson said. “It was mind-boggling to the point that I didn’t know my head from anything.”
Goodson has a long road ahead to get back on her feet, but she’s ready to do it on her own: “I've got 29 miles of gas left in my car, and that’s the lowest I’ve ever been.”
