A Central Florida woman thought she was falling in love online. Instead, she lost thousands of dollars to a romance scheme and is now paying $130 a month from her Social Security check to cover a fraudulent debt.

Cathy Rice was knitting a hat for a man she had never met.

“I wanted to send that hat to Thane because in the winter time he does wear hats,” Rice said.

She believed she was building a relationship with social media influencer Thane Rivers.

“It started on Facebook, and then there was a guy who said he was Thane Rivers,” Rice said.

For months, Rice believed she was planning a trip to finally meet the man she admired.

“I paid for plane tickets. I paid for hotel rooms, supposedly, VIP tickets, none of which I’ve ever received,” she said.

When she didn’t have checks to send, the person behind the profile asked for a different form of payment.

“He wanted me to send him Apple gift cards,” Rice said.

Then came a final blow. When Rice’s money ran out, he sent her a check for $4,000, promising he would visit.

“The bank calls me up and says, ‘Well, it was a fraudulent check,’” Rice said.

Rice was left responsible for the debt. Her bank agreed to let her pay it off at $130 a month, taken directly from her Social Security check.

“So even though it’s a loan, I still have to pay for it, even though it was all fraud,” she said.

For Rice, the damage went beyond dollars. She believed the relationship was real and grieved losing both her savings and the person she thought she knew.

“I don’t see a lot of people. I’ve gotten lonely over the years,” she said.

“They know exactly what to say to make you fall in love, trust me,” she added.

Rice is far from alone. According to the FBI, more than 550 victims in Florida reported losing a combined $22.2 million to romance scams in 2025. Nationwide, the FBI’s latest report shows more than 23,000 complaints were filed, with total losses reaching nearly $930 million.

Investigators say these scams are becoming harder to detect, with criminals increasingly using social media and artificial intelligence to deceive victims.

The Umatilla chief of police offered this warning to anyone communicating with people they do not know online:

• Ask to speak with them live and on camera to verify you are actually talking to the person you believe you are.
• If you become a victim, do not be embarrassed — report the incident to your local law enforcement agency as quickly as possible.
• If a wire transfer is involved, act fast to try to stop it and notify your bank immediately.
• If someone gives you a bank check or cashier’s check, wait. Do not withdraw or spend any money until you know the check has cleared and is legitimate.
• Be suspicious any time someone asks you to purchase gift cards.

Click here to learn more on how to recognize and avoid romance scams.