A widow from San Jose was defrauded of nearly $1 million after falling victim to a cryptocurrency scam initiated through Facebook. The scammer, masquerading as a wealthy businessman, persuaded her to invest her retirement savings and funds from a second mortgage into a fraudulent crypto platform. The deception was uncovered when her account was frozen, and she was asked to pay an additional $1 million to unfreeze it. This incident highlights a broader trend, as FBI data indicates that online scams targeting seniors resulted in $9.3 billion in losses in 2024, with funds often being transferred overseas, making recovery difficult.