ScamsNOW!

The SCARS Institute Magazine about Scam Victims-Survivors, Scams, Fraud & Cybercrime

96 Year Old Romance Scam Victim

By SCARS Editorial Team, portions U.S. Department of Justice

Indiana Woman Admits to Victimizing 96-Year-Old Rhode Island Widower Through an Online Romance Scam

An Indiana woman today (September 6, 2023) admitted to a federal Judge in Rhode Island that she perpetrated an online romance scam that defrauded a 96-year-old Coventry widower of nearly $80,000, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Brittany Rakia Shawnai Lasley, 33, of Anderson, IN, admitted that she created a social media account containing fake profile information on the dating site “Plenty of Fish,” (www.PlentyofFish.com) and promptly began a campaign to persuade the victim to provide her with money, credit cards, gift cards, and his personal identifying information. Lasley admitted that she led the victim to believe that providing her with these items would facilitate meetings between the two and foster a romantic relationship. During the scheme, Lasley fraudulently obtained access to the victim’s checking account and credit card and made numerous unauthorized purchases.

An investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service determined that Lasley had approximately eighty-nine communications with the victim during which she made fraudulent representations concerning her alleged need for funds for, among other things, medical expenses, home repairs, and travel to Rhode Island.

Lasley admitted to the court that she defrauded the 96-year-old widower of approximately $80,000.

Lasley pleaded guilty today to a charge of wire fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on November 7, 2023. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by a federal judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul F. Daly, Jr., and Peter I Roklan.

The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service.

United States Attorney Cunha thanks the Coventry, RI, Police Department; Anderson, IN, Police Department; Indiana State Police; United States Marshals Service; and U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.

SCARS Resources:

For New Victims of Relationship Scams newvictim.AgainstScams.org
Subscribe to SCARS Newsletter newsletter.againstscams.org
Sign up for SCARS professional support & recovery groups, visit support.AgainstScams.org
Find competent trauma counselors or therapists, visit counseling.AgainstScams.org
Become a SCARS Member and get free counseling benefits, visit membership.AgainstScams.org
Report each and every crime, learn how to at reporting.AgainstScams.org
Learn more about Scams & Scammers at RomanceScamsNOW.com and ScamsNOW.com
Global Cyber Alliance ACT Cybersecurity Tool Website: Actionable Cybersecurity Tools (ACT) (globalcyberalliance.org)
Self-Help Books for Scam Victims are at shop.AgainstScams.org
Donate to SCARS and help us help others at donate.AgainstScams.org
Worldwide Crisis Hotlines: International Suicide Hotlines – OpenCounseling : OpenCounseling
Campaign To End Scam Victim Blaming – 2024 (scamsnow.com)

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Institutional Betrayal – How Scam Victims are Traumatized Again by the Institutions They Depend On – 2025

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SCARS LINKS: AgainstScams.org RomanceScamsNOW.com ContraEstafas.org ScammerPhotos.com Anyscam.com ScamsNOW.com

reporting.AgainstScams.org support.AgainstScams.org membership.AgainstScams.org donate.AgainstScams.org shop.AgainstScams.org

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Published On: September 7th, 2023Last Updated: September 7th, 2023Categories: Uncategorized0 CommentsTotal Views: 685Daily Views: 1389 words1.9 min read

WHAT PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT LATEST SITE COMMENTS

See Comments for this Article at the Bottom of the Page

on Arts and Crafts Can Significantly Aid in Recovery for Scam Victims – 2025: “I did not realize that things I like doing very much—knitting or sudoku—were so helpful in my recovery process. The…” Jul 14, 11:28
on Projection And Scam Victims: “The moment I realized I had a financial loss due to a scam I realized that I felt shame, guilt,…” Jul 13, 19:12
on Japanese Legend of Tears – When There Are No Words – 2025: “After discovering the fraud, the pain was enormous. I shed oceans of tears, but I always tried to do it…” Jul 13, 10:50
on The SCARS Institute Scam Victim Recovery Timeline – 2025: “Wow. I umm experienced some of the later curves. I have been bouncing back and forth between asking myself why…” Jul 11, 00:01
on Transference And Emotional Danger After The Scam – 2024: “Thank you for the kind but firm reminder that the person in the stolen profile photo has their own life.…” Jul 9, 01:26
on ‘Mental Defeat’ – The Unique Condition Of Giving Up – 2024: “Thank you for another great article. I can see from this article that mental defeat would be debilitating to a…” Jul 9, 00:49
on Trust: Romance Scams Betrayal And Scam Victims – 2024: “This provided valuable insight that I can identify with” Jul 8, 16:44
on A Scam Victim in Extreme Distress – Stopping the Pain – 2024: “Your trust issues are very understandable. We are very sorry this happened to you. We suggest that you contact an…” Jul 8, 14:42
on A Scam Victim in Extreme Distress – Stopping the Pain – 2024: “My online counselors advised me to check myself in. I went to the hospital because I was suicidal. After I…” Jul 8, 13:44
on Scam Victim Catastrophizing Making Recovery Difficult 2024: “Excellent article on catastrophizing. I can understand how this could take a person down a rabbit warren of never ending…” Jul 8, 12:12
on The Self-Pity Trap & How To Overcome It – 2023 – [UPDATED 2025]: “I am not in the habit of feeling sorry for myself. After the deception, although it was not easy at…” Jul 8, 11:49
on Pride – A Dual Edged Sword For Scam Victims – 2023 [UPDATD 2024]: “Looking back over my life I have seen how pride has impacted me both positively and negatively. However the negative…” Jul 8, 09:08
on The Self-Pity Trap & How To Overcome It – 2023 – [UPDATED 2025]: “I felt self-pity while the enormity of my financial loss washed over me like a tsunami. The self-pity lasted only…” Jul 7, 18:55
on The Uniqueness Of Scam Victims Or Fraud Victims – 2024: “unfortunately all true. It is highly stressful dealing with the aftermath. I am being sued for the money I borrowed…” Jul 6, 12:50
on Scam Victims & Mental Health Blaming – 2023 [UPDATED 2025]: “For most of my life words have defeated me, made me feel insignificant, unwanted, unneeded. For this reason it is…” Jul 5, 13:36
on Substance Abuse Susceptibility And Scam Victims – 2024: “It is understandable how some would feel that alcohol or substance abuse would be helpful in handling their feelings after…” Jul 1, 20:36
on Scam Victims Use Work To Avoid Healing: “The last 6 years have been the most difficult of my life. The pandemic, having both parents in the hospital…” Jun 29, 18:38
on Entitlement Mentality And How Scam Victims Often Lose Their Path To Recovery – 2024: “Thank you for this discussion of entitlement. I can see from the descriptions listed that I have not felt entitlement.…” Jun 29, 18:22
on The Uniqueness Of Scam Victims Or Fraud Victims – 2024: “Really informative” Jun 28, 08:58
on Samurai Wisdom and Rituals for Clearing the Mind After Scam Trauma – 2025 – [VIDEOS]: “A great guide on how to move forward in our recovery process with a calm mind, cleansed on an ongoing…” Jun 28, 07:34

Important Information for New Scam Victims

Please visit www.ScamVictimsSupport.org – a SCARS Website for New Scam Victims & Sextortion Victims
SCARS Institute now offers a free recovery program at www.SCARSeducation.org
Please visit www.ScamPsychology.org – to more fully understand the psychological concepts involved in scams and scam victim recovery

If you are looking for local trauma counselors, please visit counseling.AgainstScams.org

If you need to speak with someone now, you can dial 988 or find phone numbers for crisis hotlines all around the world here: www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines

Statement About Victim Blaming

Some of our articles discuss various aspects of victims. This is both about better understanding victims (the science of victimology) and their behaviors and psychology. This helps us to educate victims/survivors about why these crimes happened and not to blame themselves, better develop recovery programs, and help victims avoid scams in the future. At times, this may sound like blaming the victim, but it does not blame scam victims; we are simply explaining the hows and whys of the experience victims have.

These articles, about the Psychology of Scams or Victim Psychology – meaning that all humans have psychological or cognitive characteristics in common that can either be exploited or work against us – help us all to understand the unique challenges victims face before, during, and after scams, fraud, or cybercrimes. These sometimes talk about some of the vulnerabilities the scammers exploit. Victims rarely have control of them or are even aware of them, until something like a scam happens, and then they can learn how their mind works and how to overcome these mechanisms.

Articles like these help victims and others understand these processes and how to help prevent them from being exploited again or to help them recover more easily by understanding their post-scam behaviors. Learn more about the Psychology of Scams at www.ScamPsychology.org

SCARS INSTITUTE RESOURCES:

If You Have Been Victimized By A Scam Or Cybercrime

♦ If you are a victim of scams, go to www.ScamVictimsSupport.org for real knowledge and help

♦ Enroll in SCARS Scam Survivor’s School now at www.SCARSeducation.org

♦ To report criminals, visit https://reporting.AgainstScams.org – we will NEVER give your data to money recovery companies like some do!

♦ Follow us and find our podcasts, webinars, and helpful videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RomancescamsNowcom

♦ Learn about the Psychology of Scams at www.ScamPsychology.org

♦ Dig deeper into the reality of scams, fraud, and cybercrime at www.ScamsNOW.com and www.RomanceScamsNOW.com

♦ Scam Survivor’s Stories: www.ScamSurvivorStories.org

♦ For Scam Victim Advocates visit www.ScamVictimsAdvocates.org

♦ See more scammer photos on www.ScammerPhotos.com

You can also find the SCARS Institute on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and TruthSocial

Psychology Disclaimer:

All articles about psychology and the human brain on this website are for information & education only

The information provided in this and other SCARS articles are intended for educational and self-help purposes only and should not be construed as a substitute for professional therapy or counseling.

Note about Mindfulness: Mindfulness practices have the potential to create psychological distress for some individuals. Please consult a mental health professional or experienced meditation instructor for guidance should you encounter difficulties.

While any self-help techniques outlined herein may be beneficial for scam victims seeking to recover from their experience and move towards recovery, it is important to consult with a qualified mental health professional before initiating any course of action. Each individual’s experience and needs are unique, and what works for one person may not be suitable for another.

Additionally, any approach may not be appropriate for individuals with certain pre-existing mental health conditions or trauma histories. It is advisable to seek guidance from a licensed therapist or counselor who can provide personalized support, guidance, and treatment tailored to your specific needs.

If you are experiencing significant distress or emotional difficulties related to a scam or other traumatic event, please consult your doctor or mental health provider for appropriate care and support.

Also read our SCARS Institute Statement about Professional Care for Scam Victims – click here

If you are in crisis, feeling desperate, or in despair, please call 988 or your local crisis hotline.