The Story:
Jelena, 42, from Croatia, met “Thomas” on Facebook Dating. He said he was an American widower working in Dubai. He was elegant, well-spoken, and even sent flowers to her workplace (using an online service).
After 3 weeks, he said he wanted to visit her — and even talked about marriage.
Then came a message: his passport had expired, and the U.S. embassy was asking for a €300 fast-track fee. Jelena offered to help.
But after the first transfer, came the next: an “emergency tax.” Then “hotel booking complications.”
Jelena sent over €1,100 before realizing the address he gave didn’t exist, and the embassy doesn’t charge for passport emergencies like that.
Lesson:
Grand romantic gestures can be fake. Scammers often play the long game with emotional promises and fake documents.