She was 69. He was young, hunky—and a fraud.: Love scams hot record high

In May of last year, someone claiming to be a military doctor on a secret mission in North Korea contacted Laura Francis on Facebook, looking for love and connection. Francis, a California realtor, thought he was charming— his profile images portrayed a man with a muscular build, beard, tattoos, and hospital scrubs— but was initially skeptical of his intentions.