[US] Mom is a victim of a complex Romance/Business scam. Trapped in a Money Mule and groomed by…

A woman was targeted in a romance scam via WhatsApp by someone posing as a 'Sergeant' in the military. The scammer then manipulated her into opening a business bank account, setting the stage for a complex money mule scheme.

What happened

The victim connected with the scammer on Facebook, who claimed to be a 'Sergeant' stationed in Bahrain. After establishing a relationship, the scammer convinced the victim to open a ZenBusiness account and a bank account to receive money purportedly from the 'Military.' The scammer then claimed he was retiring and sent a package via courier, but requested $5,500 for its release, which the victim was willing to pay. The victim's child discovered the courier receipt was fake and the 'Sergeant's' photos were being used on a catfish account, but the victim refused to believe it.