A Missouri man lost $120,000 after falling victim to a TikTok romance scam that stretched across several months, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities say the 61-year-old victim met the suspect on TikTok, where the suspect claimed to be a 34-year-old housekeeper named “Lisa.” After initially ignoring an earlier message last year, the victim responded in March, believing he was forming a genuine relationship.
The person behind the TikTok account later convinced the man to move their chat to Telegram, an encrypted messaging app that’s often used by fraudsters to avoid detection.
The alleged scammer then began asking for small amounts of money for gas and car repairs before escalating to larger sums. When the victim’s CashApp account stopped working, “Lisa” asked him to send cryptocurrency instead.
The sheriff’s office said the victim used Bitcoin ATMs in nearby areas to transfer funds. The person later claimed she needed help paying “back taxes” on her mother’s house, leading to the largest loss.
After the man told his daughter about the situation, she recognized it as a scam and reported it to the authorities.
Sheriff’s office issues warning to other TikTok users
Sarah Boyd, public relations manager for the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, said the case is a “textbook romance scam.”
“They build up a relationship and it becomes emotional,” Boyd said. “It’s not transactional to the victim. Even though they may have never met, they feel that they care about them.”
Investigators believe the scammer is likely based overseas, making it difficult to recover the stolen money. The sheriff’s office is now adding warning labels and scam alert stickers to cryptocurrency ATMs across Clay County to help prevent future cases.
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