Long-game romance fraud: the Durham case
Durham police charged a man in September 2026 after several local women lost more than a million dollars to relationships built over years. Police believe there are more victims.
How it works
This one did not start with a stranger online. Police say the 41-year-old met women through social media, gyms, work settings, and his dog training business, then proposed serious long-term relationships while lying about his finances and business ventures. He ran several relationships at the same time, asked for money as investments, loans, and emergencies, and used one woman's money to make payments to another so the story held together. It ran from late 2020 into 2025, and the losses passed one million dollars. Durham police laid charges in September 2026 and are asking anyone who thinks they were financially deceived in a relationship to come forward.
What to do
- Treat any request for money inside a relationship as a decision to talk over with someone outside it, especially investments, loans, and sudden emergencies.
- Ask to see the business, the paperwork, or the bank account. Someone with nothing to hide will show you.
- If this sounds like something that happened to you, Durham police want to hear from you: 1-888-579-1520 ext. 2950, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Police have said clearly that victims are not responsible for the actions of people who deceive them.
Sources
If this has already happened to you, our scam recovery visit can lock down your accounts and devices. And if you are just not sure whether something is a scam, asking us is always free.