73-Year-Old New Yorker Loses $300K to AI WhatsApp Crypto Scam

A 73-year-old former occupational therapist in New York lost $300,000 in retirement savings after answering an unsolicited WhatsApp message about a cryptocurrency course while recovering from an injury in December 2024. Over roughly three months she transferred funds to multiple crypto addresses controlled by scammers.

The woman was put in touch with a contact using the name “Niamh” and a person posing as a customer service representative. They guided her through creating crypto wallets and moving tokens. Early small investments were shown as large gains to build trust. She ultimately sent $300,000 to 14 different crypto wallet addresses over about two months. When withdrawals stopped appearing, an intermediary blamed the victim for sending assets to the wrong address.

The woman developed severe depression after the losses, required hospitalization and now lives in an assisted care facility with Medicaid support.

Investigators from the IRS Criminal Investigation New York Field Office traced the 14 addresses to five wallets that were used to funnel about $5 million taken from several victims. IRS agent Harry Chavis said investigators believe the suspects used AI tools available on the dark web to collect personal data and identify likely targets. “They’re using these dark AI tools to write scripts to literally go specifically to the victim,” he said. He added that the schemes are sophisticated and urged people not to let shame prevent them from reporting crimes: “These are highly sophisticated scams and anyone can be a victim.”

Federal law enforcement data show similar patterns nationally. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center logged 453,000 cyber-related fraud complaints in 2025, with total reported losses of $21 billion. Investment scams made up about half of those complaints. Cryptocurrency-related reports accounted for $11 billion in losses across 181,565 complaints. The bureau identified 22,364 complaints tied to the use of AI tools, with combined losses of $893 million.

Prosecutors have also pursued traditional schemes that relied on personal contact. On April 23, a federal court in the Northern Mariana Islands sentenced Sze Man Yu Inos to 71 months in prison for a bitcoin wire fraud scheme that targeted older women across Saipan, Guam, Washington and California. Courts ordered $769,355 in restitution in that case.

Consumer protection agencies list common warning signs: unsolicited contact, pressure to act quickly or keep transactions secret, and promises of guaranteed returns. The Federal Trade Commission warns that businesses insisting on cryptocurrency payments are likely illegitimate and that guaranteed returns in crypto are a red flag.

Federal investigators recommend early reporting to improve the chances of tracing stolen funds and identifying perpetrators. Victims can file complaints through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) or the Federal Trade Commission’s Report Fraud portal.