A metro Atlanta woman says she is the victim of a romance scam. But when she went to report it to police, she was told she also might have committed a crime. — A metro Atlanta woman says she is the victim of a romance scam. But when she went to report it to police, she was told she also might have committed a crime.
A Sandy Springs woman says she fell fast for a man she met on Muslim dating app.
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“We would exchange prayers every morning, every night. He’s a praying man. That’s what got me,” explained the woman, who didn’t want to reveal her identity.
She says the man, named Yusuf, won her trust and soon told her about his financial hardships. And he convinced her to accept money from his “side gigs” through Zelle.
“He wanted me to transfer the money that I’ve transferred to Cash App into the Bitcoin and then that he would be able to use it that way,” she said.
But soon her bank closed her accounts. And when she went to police, she was told she might’ve committed a crime.
“The detective basically said that I had been used as a money mule,” she told us.
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“As a special agent, I’ve had the opportunity to sit down with many individuals who’ve been victims of this type of crime,” explained FBI Special Agent Daniel Polk. “We’re talking about doctors, businessmen, women who are educated in their fields. I think there’s a myth that a lot of people who are targeted in this are naive.”
FBI Crime Stats show nearly a billion dollars was lost in romance scams across the US in 2025. Georgia accounted for $21 million of that. Special Agent Daniel Polk saying it’s important to report scams quickly.
Polk said if these cases are reported within a couple days, they may be able to help get your money back.
“There hasn’t been a day that I’ve woken up not feeling anxious, not feeling betrayed, not feeling disappointed, not feelin’ that I should’ve known,” said the victim.
Polk said these are red flags to look out for:
- This person will never show up on FaceTime
- You’ve never met them in person
- They tell you that they’re in love with you really early on within a week or two of talking to them
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