A 73-year-old woman has lost her entire life savings to AI-powered scammers who spent months carefully building her trust before draining hundreds of thousands of dollars from her retirement and savings accounts.
Kyle Holder, a former occupational therapist, says she was first contacted around Christmas 2024 through WhatsApp by someone offering guidance on crypto investing, reports CBS News.
Looking for a way to earn from home after an injury, she says she engaged with the sender, who introduced herself as “Niamh.”
“I just thought maybe this was a way that I could use my time, start something new and make money, to carry me into my older years.”
Holder says the conversations quickly became friendly and frequent, as Niamh expressed concern for her well-being while simultaneously steering her toward crypto investments.
“Honey, how did you sleep last night?… By the way, honey, have your funds arrived in your Citibank account?”
Holder says Niamh coached her through opening two crypto wallets and transferring an initial small sum, which appeared to grow rapidly, creating the illusion of legitimate returns. She says Niamh then appealed to her empathy, describing herself as a struggling single mother who needed help.
“I hope you can understand the plight of being a single mom because the money I lent you includes child support for my daughter Alice, and even some of the funds obtained through loans.”
Over the course of under three months, Holder says she transferred nearly $300,000 across 14 different crypto wallets tied to the scammers. When the promised returns failed to materialize, she began to sense something was wrong.
“‘Please assure me this is not a scam,’ I actually said that to her. I’m getting worried.”
Holder says Niamh responded by blaming her for sending money to the wrong wallet, before turning menacing.
“You have made a fatal mistake.”
Holder says she has since been forced to move into an assisted living facility paid for by Medicaid. Her $300,000, saved over a lifetime, is gone.
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at CapitalAI Daily are not investment advice. Investors should do their own due diligence before making any decisions involving securities, cryptocurrencies, or digital assets. Your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. CapitalAI Daily does not recommend the buying or selling of any assets, nor is CapitalAI Daily an investment advisor. See our Editorial Standards and Terms of Use.