ORLANDO, Fla. – A Chinese American man born in New York City and now living in Orlando is the latest victim of a video dating app that led to the introduction of his “future wife” and ultimately the loss of $30,000.
“I really thought she loved me,” he said. ”I really thought she’d come here and be my wife.”
The man, who works for a well-known company in the Orlando area, asked that we not identify him.
“I speak fluent Chinese, so we interacted well,” he told News 6.
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He said they met on a dating app called 17LIVE, a live streaming platform “featuring the most exciting live streamers from around the world,” according to the company website.
He said he was dating the woman via 17LIVE for about four months.
She claimed her name was Xuan Xuan, a 20-something resident of Shanghai, China, who needed money to make the trip to the United States and marry the man she would eventually steal from.
“We hit it off really quick,” he told News 6. “She said in order to obtain a travel visa or marriage visa, she needed to show the travel officer she has steady income.”
They arrived at a figure of $10,000 for three consecutive months.
While “dating,” they exchanged photos, texts and of course the live video chats.
The photos he showed News 6 appear to be altered, the face of the young woman is enhanced by a filter.
Everything seemed perfect until Xuan Xuan suddenly needed another $10,000.
“Her first excuse was that if the visa officer wanted to see a fourth month of income, she would have it ready,” he told News 6.
Then she claimed her sister was in the hospital and she needed $10,000 to cover expenses
When he asked for the name of the hospital and her sister, Xuan Xuan went silent and remains silent to this day.
Special Agent in Charge Caroline O’Brien-Buster of the U.S. Secret Service Orlando Office told News 6 anytime a relationship turns to gift cards or cash, chances are you are being set up.
“If somebody’s asking you for money, that’s got to be a red flag,” O’Brien-Buster said. “This probably happened to him and hundreds of other guys, this is a business, it’s nothing about love.”
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in 2022 alone, 70,000 Americans fell victim to similar online romance deceptions. And the cost? A stunning $1.3 billion lost in 2022 to heartless cyber swindlers. But believe it or not, this is just the tip of the iceberg in the world of online dating scams.
If you have a consumer or investment issue, email makeeendsmeet@wkmg.com or text the words “make ends meet” along with your issue and contact information to 407-676-7428.
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