Romance Scam Drains $271,000 From Retired Journalist in Gold Trading Scheme

An 82-year-old retired journalist has lost $271,000 in savings after being drawn into a long-running online romance that evolved into a fraudulent investment scheme, highlighting the continued spread of so-called “pig-butchering” scams.

Al Levine, a former writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, said the scam began with an unsolicited text message from a contact identifying herself as “Daisy Miller.” What started as a wrong-number exchange developed into a sustained personal conversation, eventually becoming a romantic relationship conducted entirely online.

Over several weeks, the individual shared daily updates and built trust before introducing an investment opportunity involving short-term gold trading on a platform referred to as SunX. Initial deposits appeared profitable, with Levine reporting early gains after committing $20,000.

Encouraged by the displayed returns, he increased his exposure, transferring $70,000, followed by the remainder of his investment portfolio. At its peak, the platform showed a balance of approximately $1.3 million, creating the impression of significant profits.

The scheme escalated when Levine attempted to withdraw funds. He was instructed to pay $216,000 in “taxes” to unlock the account, a common tactic used in investment scams to extract additional payments. By that stage, funds had already been transferred out, and the account balance was fictitious.

Authorities later confirmed the operation was fraudulent, with funds routed overseas. Levine also reported taking out a $20,000 loan during the process, bringing total losses to his entire life savings.

The case follows a pattern seen in pig-butchering scams, where victims are gradually groomed through personal interaction before being directed to controlled trading platforms displaying fabricated returns.

Despite conducting basic checks, including image searches and contacting local authorities, Levine found no immediate warning signs during the early stages.

The incident underscores the growing use of relationship-based approaches in financial scams, where trust-building precedes investment solicitation, often leading to large, cumulative losses over a short period.