Liza Jane Likins had no concept {that a} easy replace to her social media profile following the demise of her husband of 23 years would change her life ceaselessly.
Likins, a backup singer who toured with Fleetwood Mac and Linda Ronstadt, fell sufferer to a Nigerian on-line romance scammer and was conned out of greater than $1 million in money and crypto funds.
Over the course of two years, Likins turned concerned with a “very sophisticated rip-off” by a person who claimed to be an Australian gold miner and who wooed her over the Web with stolen photographs of a German life coach.
STEVIE NICKS TELLS KATY PERRY TO ‘GET OFF THE INTERNET’
Liza Likins, Stevie Nicks’ roommate and former backup singer, was conned out of greater than $1 million by a Nigerian scammer. (Liza Jane Likins)
“I had nothing left. I bought my home,” Likins solely instructed Fox Information Digital. “This scammer wished me to promote my automobile, however thankfully that was once I noticed the ‘Social Catfish’ present, so I did not promote my automobile.
“I wished to kill myself at first, as a result of my husband left me in excellent form, and after two years with this scammer, I did not have something left however my automobile and my garments and I simply wished to finish my life. I did not know what I used to be going to do.”
Likins added, “I did not have cash for meals. I did not have cash to pay my utilities. My electrical energy was turned off twice. I misplaced 40 kilos. I obtained Covid. I did not have cash for a physician. I imply, I used to be actually, actually in serious trouble.”
Her downside with the scammer started instantly after one small change to her social media account.
MANTI TE’O CRACKS JOKE ABOUT INFAMOUS CATFISHING INCIDENT
“When my husband handed away, on my Facebook profile, I put in there that … I used to be now a widow. Huge mistake,” Likins mentioned. “That is like placing an indication on your self that claims rip-off bait. That is how it began.”
Likins sang for years with Linda Ronstadt (proper) and was roommates with Stevie Nicks (left). (Liza Likins)
Likins recalled the scammer being a “good gentleman” of their preliminary on-line conversations, and mentioned that regardless of her not being involved in something romantic simply but, he would write to her “each day for six months.”
“When my husband handed away, on my Fb profile, I put in there that … I used to be now a widow. Huge mistake. That is like placing an indication on your self that claims rip-off bait.”
“Someday he despatched me footage, and every image had an advanced, convoluted story that went with it,” she remembered. “All of the photographs have been stolen off of the German life coach public website on Fb. Someday, he despatched me an image of him, supposedly, subsequent to a statue of Buddha, and that did it once I obtained that image. I assumed, ‘OK, this particular person may be all proper.'”
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Likins had no concept that the online of lies had already begun. She was instructed that her on-line suitor was the director of a gold mine, and he was presently within the Australian outback with a crew of 20 males on his final job earlier than retirement.
He was operating out of time on the expedition, and was already $8,000 within the gap. To make issues worse, in the event that they wished to speak, she’d need to ship him $1,000 and cryptocurrency so he may buy the right Wi-Fi to make use of his telephone so they might keep in touch whereas he was working in Australia.
Likins claimed they spoke by way of Facetime via a “very refined” technique utilizing audio gear matched with video parts. When the video parts “stalled,” the scammer would say, “I am unable to hear you anymore, Let’s return to texting.”
Likins started chatting with a romantic suitor after altering her Fb profile to “widow.” (Liza Likins)
Every request for cash turned extra sophisticated and convoluted, however Likins was nonetheless hooked by the scammer, who confirmed off pure gold bars and requested for her dwelling handle so he may securely ship a protected filled with bundled $100 payments to her dwelling.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
“I’ve a video of this purple helicopter lifting off,” Likins mentioned of 1 extravagant scheme. “I checked out all of the specs, the handle, the e-mail, the telephone quantity, every thing checked out. And so they despatched me emails that they have been en path to ship this protected to my dwelling handle.
“The scammer mentioned if I might improve the logistics firm transport, I might have it in three days. So I did. That was the primary actually giant sum of cash.”
Nothing was ever delivered to her dwelling.
“I went to the airport 4 completely different instances to choose this particular person up, as a result of he would ship me footage of his identify on a boarding move arriving at a sure day and time,” Likins mentioned. “I might go to the airport, and naturally … that flight didn’t exist, and neither did he.”
“Social Catfish” tv present helped her notice she was being scammed. (Liza Likins)
The rip-off was over accidentally when Likins tuned right into a television show known as “Social Catfish.” She “went into shock” inside minutes of this system after watching a narrative much like her personal play out on TV, and wrote to the producers asking to get in contact.
By means of analysis, “Social Catfish” (an organization which verifies on-line identities via AI reverse search expertise) found the scammer’s actual id.
“I might go to the airport, and naturally, . . . that flight didn’t exist and neither did he.”
Regardless of dropping every thing, Likins discovered power in an unlikely particular person and obtained in touch with the actual particular person within the images she had been despatched by the scammer.
“Because it seems, the rationale there was an image of him with Buddha is as a result of he’s a German non secular and enterprise life coach,” Likins mentioned. “He is like Germany’s model of Tony Robbins.“
She added, “He began doing every thing he may do to advise me on methods to heal myself and reminding me to like myself and to forgive myself and to maintain residing. And that what I needed to do was inform my story to assist different individuals in order that different individuals like me do not get scammed.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Source link