Michigan Woman Lost $26,000 in Tinder Romance Scam Using Deepfake Video
A 53-year-old Michigan woman lost $26,000 in a romance scam conducted through Tinder where a scammer posed as a French man named \"Richard\" using deepfake video calls on Skype to deceive her over several months. Police declined to pursue the case, and Tinder removed the account after being notified.
What happened
Beth Hyland, a 53-year-old administrative assistant from Portage, Michigan, matched with a man named "Richard" on Tinder who claimed to be a French project manager living in Indiana. Over months, Hyland received deepfake video calls on Skype, fake photos, and emotional manipulation from the scammer, who said he needed money for a lawyer and translator in Qatar.
Hyland took out loans totaling $26,000 and sent the money to the scammer. When she consulted a financial adviser and confronted "Richard" about the scam, he initially denied it and then went silent when she asked for her money back.
Reported impact
Hyland lost $26,000 to the romance scam. She described the experience as "like grieving a death."
Index analysis
The scammer used deepfake video technology on Skype calls to appear visually similar to the photos he had sent, which Hyland noted looked "a little fuzzy" but she was not aware of deepfakes at the time. A January report from cyber firm McAfee projected that about one-fifth of the estimated 8 million deepfakes to be shared worldwide in 2025 will be part of romance scams.
Governance controls
Portage Police told Hyland they could not pursue the case further because there was no "coercion, threat or force involved," according to a letter from the director of public safety. After Hyland flagged the scammer's account to Tinder, the company said it removes users who violate its terms of service or guidelines, but could not share details of its investigation due to privacy reasons.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.