I Lost Half a Million to Online Dating.

…

>> And did he FaceTime with you? >> He did.

He he did.

He facetimed with me and he told me look even though I didn’t want to because I told him I looked terrible.

I had puffy eyes after crying all day.

Uh he said look I don’t want you to be alone.

I’ll just be here with you.

If you want to talk, we’ll talk.

If not, that’s okay.

So, I didn’t very long.

>> So, this was an actual human you were talking to.

It wasn’t AI.

It wasn’t robotics.

There wasn’t a connection glitch.

You actually conversed with this person via FaceTime.

>> Yep.

>> Okay.

And And how long did that conversation last? >> Less than five minutes because I wasn’t up to speaking with him after the fact.

After I kind of calmed down and started thinking about it, I thought, you know, that was very kind of him.

He’s a kind person.

He cared enough that he just wanted to be there with me at a difficult time.

>> So, that leads into my next question.

Was that the start of you gaining or earning trust, this individual earning trust with you? >> It was.

It was.

>> Wow.

Okay.

And what kind of things was he saying to you? Well, he would be very supportive.

How are you feeling today? Over time, he entwined himself in my life as far as knowing my family, my interests.

They seem to be similar to his.

Very supportive, very caring, very loving, and over time it grew with sayings and endearments and songs.

>> So, were you still conversing via FaceTime with him or were you texting or still using the dating app? I was still using the dating app for about I guess a month or so and then he asked me to switch over to Signal which is an encrypted application.

>> Now isn’t Signal an encrypted app that the government actually uses? >> It is.

Yeah.

>> Did he represent himself as working for the government? >> No.

No, he did not.

He had mentioned that he was an engineer and he did contract work.

>> All right.

So, you’re conversing with him and when you did FaceTime with him, did he appear to be a foreigner? Was he American in appearance? >> Interesting you ask because when I look back, he had a hat on that was very far down on his forehead.

He spoke like an American, but I didn’t really get a good glimpse of his face.

The only way I knew what he looked like was by pictures that he had sent and pictures online.

And looking back now, do you feel that FaceTime was completely staged? >> I do.

>> Okay.

So, he was protecting his identity.

So, it was probably a protocol that this organization had come up with that I would say if they had 10 operators that were hustling people at one time, they all followed that protocol.

>> I would agree.

Looking back, yes.

>> So, looking back, what made you feel emotionally connected to this person? just how much they cared and how he intertwined my himself with my life and he would ask my advice about things and we just felt connected.

>> And what type of work did this gentleman do? >> He was an engineer that graduated supposedly from Columbia University in New York and he did contract work.

>> Okay.

And where was he working currently? Was it close by where you were hoping to meet him face to face or was it a far? He was actually from New Jersey and he had called me when I was on vacation because I had gone on vacation and told me that he had gotten a contract for several months and that it would be difficult to see me because we were planning on getting together physically.

>> Okay.

>> But the contract was in the Gulf of America on an oil rig.

>> Okay.

So he was a petroleum engineer.

>> Correct.

>> Wow.

Okay.

So, as you reflect on this whole situation, Sue, were there any moments where something felt off? Maybe it didn’t register at this time, but now a light bulb goes off and you said, you say to yourself, “Geez, I should have seen this.

” >> You know, after the fact, yes, there were periodically situations that a red flag would go up, but there was just something about my nature in trusting people.

I thought, “Oh, I’m just imagining it.

” You know, >> and you had this one video conference.

Were there other times where you requested to do video calls or meet in person? And how did the individual handle that? >> He couldn’t do video calls by the time he got on to the oil rig.

And it was it was mostly just texts.

He couldn’t phone call me.

So, the rest of the time it was texts.

>> So, he basically was telling you he had limited access to the internet because he was out on this rig.

Mhm.

Correct.

>> And if you don’t mind me asking, what was his name? >> Jason.

Jason Sanders.

And he lived in Delaware, New Jersey.

>> Okay.

All right.

Very, very good.

Is there actually a Delaware, New Jersey? >> There really is.

I didn’t think so, but there is.

And there is also a Jason Sanders in Delaware, New Jersey.

>> Have you had contact with the actual Jason Sanders? >> I have not.

I did a lot of research after I found out it was a fraud as far as home records, you know, deeds, businesses that he said he ran.

And apparently the Jason Sanders is in Colombia.

He’s not in the United States.

So, I don’t know, you know, >> who or Yeah.

>> But very good American name.

I have to say that.

>> Well, first off, never date a guy from Jersey.

I’m just kidding to our viewers from Jersey.

I’m just kidding.

Okay, so let me ask you, when did money first come into the conversation? >> He had been out on the rig for a while.

He was shoring up this rig from a hurricane and it was his job to make sure it was steady and stable and he needed additional equipment.

He called me frantically.

Actually, no.

He texted me frantically, excuse me, and said that he couldn’t get into his offshore account to order this equipment and he would be stuck out there on the project until he could get this equipment.

And could I help him by sending money? >> Okay.

So, let me ask you, this gentleman owned his company.

He wasn’t working for an employer.

He did own his company.

>> Yes.

Well, he was he was employed, but he did contract work and he he picked up a contract job through another company.

>> Okay.

All right.

And he was out on this rig reseing it from hurricane damage.

>> Correct.

>> Wow.

And at this moment, did you feel like you were helping someone that you cared about? >> I was many, many years.

I’m a person that always helps somebody in need.

Even at times when I don’t have it, it’s just me.

And of course there was an attachment, an emotional attachment by then and I wanted to help.

He was very frantic.

He told me his offline or yeah, his offshore account was locked up.

He had tried to get into it several times and it locked him out.

He even showed me the errors.

He showed $4 million in his bank account.

He promised me if I could help him, he would pay it right back.

So, he created some convincing evidence that wouldn’t make you second guess that you’re truly helping a friend here.

And how much did he ask for upon the first request for money? >> It was $15,000 for equipment.

>> And how was that money delivered to this individual? >> I had to wire to a company that orders the equipment and then ships it to the oil rig.

So, I to that company in the States.

>> Was there any Bitcoin involved cryptocurrency at that point? that point? No, it was strictly dollars.

>> Now, this happened gradually over time.

Correct.

How long were you conversing with this individual before he asked for cash? >> Probably about a month and a half maybe.

Entwined himself pretty quick with me.

>> Do you feel looking back that he played on your vulnerability of being recently widowed alone after many years of marriage? >> I think I was a prime target.

>> Absolutely.

And I’m sure you and that has happened to thousands of other people.

As we mentioned in our previous podcast episode, the FTC anticipates that this is $1.

2 trillion a year that’s lost just in the United States on romance scams.

It’s just amazing.

It’s It’s freaking amazing.

It really is.

Now, at any point did you feel like you were in too deep to stop, to pull away, to get out? kept helping because I kept wanting to help and get him off that rig because it got to a point where it was very frustrating, upsetting to him.

Couldn’t get his job done.

Even at one point he halfway through he needed to pay the fellas that he employed.

So I needed to send money to pay them so that they could or he wouldn’t get off the rig.

And >> how much money at this point of our conversation had you lent this gentleman? >> Probably by then a good $70,000.

>> Okay.

And was there any indication in your mind, any red flags that this may have been a scam? >> Not at that point.

No.

>> When did it come to you that the realization that you were being scammed? >> Well, this is very very involved.

He eventually uh I I sent the money for the employees.

Then he wanted more money to finish the project.

I couldn’t send it.

I said, “No, I’m not sending it.

” suggested that he go to his bank in Miami and and promised the guys that he would send the money.

So, he did leave the rig, went to Mexico City to go to take his flight to Miami, and he was arrested.

>> Arrested for for what? >> Well, they told him tax evasion.

Apparently, when you book a job in Mexico, you have to pay the taxes right away, which I found out was incorrect.

and the employees turned him in because they didn’t get their money, their last pay.

So, he beaten up apparently and I actually got a phone call that I mean he was crying, hysterical.

He was beaten up.

He was he had bruised ribs, bruises on his body and he didn’t even know where he was.

He was put in some kind of cell somewhere.

They took him way out in the middle of the country somewhere.

>> Wow.

And did he need more money from you to post bail at that point? So he tried to talk them out of or talk them into letting him go and they wouldn’t let him go.

He was in jail for a good month and they weren’t feeding him.

They were feeding him donuts.

So okay, he needed something substantial.

So he asked me to start sending Apple cards.

So and also his internet was sporadic.

It only came on in the morning and at night time.

And he wanted I was his like life collection.

So he wanted to keep in touch with me.

So, I sent him out cards for food and for the internet.

Eventually, I told him, “Look, you’ve got to hire an attorney, of which he asked for one, but he needed a retainer.

” And again, I helped out with the retainer.

>> So, how much money did you have involved with this gentleman at this point that he’s imprisoned? >> Gosh, it was probably over $100,000.

>> And I think you had told me that he actually sent you an article from the newspaper showing him being arrested.

Is that true? >> He did.

He did.

His picture was on the front page of the newspaper about US citizen was arrested for tax evasion.

And I believe >> I believe.

>> Wow.

So this is a pretty welloiled organization.

This is very much like the mafia abroad.

I mean they had all their bases covered.

Unbelievable.

Unbelievable.

>> Yeah.

It was one point he wasn’t even sure whether it was the cartel or not because the employees that he had hired were Mexican.

So he didn’t know if it was the police or whether it was cartel getting back.

>> So at this point in time, did you come to the realization that you were being scammed or does the story continue? >> The story continues.

>> Okay.

All right.

So what happens next? Well, after the attorney working with him and the officials there, they eventually agreed to release him.

However, he had to pay a release fee.

He also needed money for to finish off paying the attorney flight back to Miami.

So, >> he hit you for everything.

>> So, I came to the rescue.

That’s That’s So, how much money do we have into the scam at this point when he’s supposedly flying back to Miami? >> Probably about $130 Wow.

>> or $40,000.

Yeah.

>> Okay.

So, now he’s out of jail.

Things are going well.

He’s headed to try to unlock his account at the bank in Miami, correct? >> So, he can pay you back.

Okay.

>> Yeah.

>> What happens next? Well, his mother lived in Miami and and she had been sick.

So, I suggested while he was working things out with the bank, make sure he visits his mother.

And it took the bank a good three, four weeks.

But in the meantime, his mother, he called me again, actually physically called me upset, saying when he visited his mother, she she had trouble talking.

And I said, “It sounds like she had a a stroke.

We better get her to the hospital.

” Sure enough, she did.

She had a stroke.

Ended up in the hospital for a week.

Well, while she was in the hospital, he needed food.

He needed gas to use her car to go back and forth to check on her.

So, again, I sent Apple Cards.

>> So, I have to say, Sue, I want to back up.

You said something.

You know, this gentleman’s flying to Miami, and you’re such a concerned individual that you say to him, “Make sure you visit your mother because she’s not feeling well.

” And that says a lot for your character, and I just want to commend you >> on that.

It really does.

And I can see your kind heart throughout this story.

So I can imagine how devastating this truly is for you.

So let’s fast forward a little bit.

When did you realize that this was a scam? >> When I told him I couldn’t give him any more money and I suggested that he reach out to his ex who he had been married to for 20 years and tried to see if she could help him out.

His ex >> Go ahead, Sue.

I’m sorry.

>> That’s right.

His ex was in Naples.

He was in Miami.

So, while driving to Naples to to talk to her, he has this heart attack along the way.

And I I get a call.

>> This poor guy.

Everything happens to him.

>> This the the cardiologist calls me on his phone and I’m like, “Wait a minute.

>> When does a cardiologist First of all, I’m not even family.

” >> And he even sent me a picture of him in the ICU and it looked like him.

Unbelievable.

Unbelievable.

So, the cardiologist gets on his phone and calls you and says what? >> He says, “I I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Mr.

Jason had a severe heart attack on the way to Naples.

Good Samaritans had saw him swerving on the road.

Call the ambulance and we are trying to revive him right now.

I can’t hang.

My team’s working on him.

I will call you back.

” >> Brilliant.

Just absolutely brilliant.

So, did you have to wire additional money to the hospital to cover his bills? >> No, I didn’t even ask at that point >> for you.

Okay.

So, what what was the breaking point when you said to him, “Look, I can’t give any more money.

” Had he cleaned out your account? I mean, was it a point where you had no resources to pull from at that point or was it just that you came to the realization enough is enough? I came to the realization enough is enough and and it reached about 180,000 at that point.

>> Okay.

And at that point, when does he go silent on you? It’s just over.

You don’t hear a word.

>> Well, I I got a call again from the cardiologist saying that he had passed away.

And by then, I realized the HIPPA law since I wasn’t a relative.

Finally, the red light was flashing.

>> Wow.

Wow.

So, that was his escape plan.

He was going to actually die.

And this cardiologist who’s in the organization also was going to be the one that shared that information.

>> Yep.

Yep.

And would you believe 2 days later he showed back up on Tinder.

Same pictures, same profile, >> ready to run another scam.

Wow.

Unbelievable.

So, how did you feel at that point? I mean, wow.

This must have hit you like a ton of bricks.

>> Very angry, but not so much at him at myself for allowing it to happen.

and noticing some red flags along the way, but I didn’t want to believe them.

>> And what happened at this point? Did you share this information with your family? Did you go to the police? What was going on in your mind? >> At that point, I was so ashamed.

I always felt as though I was an intelligent woman.

I can’t let anybody know.

I’ll just write off the losses.

So, I didn’t tell anyone, the police or my family.

But it didn’t stop there.

>> Well, that’s interesting.

What? And I know with a lot of people, only one out of four of these romance scams are ever truly reported to the FBI.

I think people are too ashamed.

They’re too embarrassed.

And again, that’s why I want to thank you for taking time to come on today.

I know this is difficult for you.

I I really do.

But you said something interesting a minute ago that it didn’t stop there.

What happened next? >> I actually became a victim again.

>> Oh, the same scam or a different scam? It it was different.

I thought I was notified.

I had joined a support group online and I was notified via text by a gentleman saying saying, “Are you Sue?” that have been scammed because I was scammed out of $200,000.

And I know of a friend that knows an IT specialist with the FBI IC3 team that helps people recover their funds.

>> Okay.

And do you think did you meet this gentleman through this support group? Is that where you felt like he got your information from or or how did that come about? I’m a little confused.

>> Originally I thought he was from the support group but he wasn’t.

Apparently, he got my name from the IT tech guy who had apparently said that he was in the scammer’s accounts and saw my name and information along with five others.

And he wanted to >> five other people.

>> Five other people.

Yeah.

I was I was the sixth.

and he asked I thought it would be a good idea to put together a support group offline like on another WhatsApp application or you know uh group and see if anybody would want to work with them.

Well, I was very suspicious.

I said no I I don’t want anything to do with it.

You I think it’s a scam.

Gradually all five got their money back supposedly.

I >> six were you interacting with these five? I was the group.

We were seeing every day, day by day, how their accounts were growing, how they worked it.

And they worked it with cryptocurrency, this IT guy.

>> Okay.

>> And and by the time everybody got their money back, I thought, well, I had nothing to lose, you know.

I’ll give it a shot.

I’ll give it a try.

So, I sent him my information.

>> And you sent him information.

And then what happened? Did he ask for money? He needed $5,000 to invest in cryptocurrency so that he could start building it up utilizing the scammer’s accounts and he needed to do it slowly so that there were no red flags.

So every so often he would ask for more money.

>> Okay.

So what he was doing is he was creating was it a trading platform a bitcoin platform for you and this >> okay and this would allow him to look into the scammer’s account but not in a suspicious way because it would be an account in which he would slowly be moving the money that you lost into this Bitcoin account that you started for 5,000.

>> Correct.

>> And the other five people have all gotten their money back at this point.

>> So they said yeah.

>> Okay.

And did you FaceTime with these five other individuals? Did you text? How did you communicate with these folks? >> It was all text and I had their phone numbers and all.

It was all text.

>> Okay.

Very good.

All right.

So, I mean, I can understand these five people were made whole.

So, you’re thinking, “All right, now it’s my turn to be made whole.

” So, what happened next? >> Gradually, it built up to the 180,000 and I could see it growing in the account, my account, and it came time for me to withdraw.

>> Okay.

Cryptocurrency has a very large address for an account.

It could be 20 characters long.

I sent them my address and asked them to please withdraw it to my account.

Well, it didn’t show up.

After a couple days, I inquired customer service and they said they sent it out.

When I doublech checked the cryptocurrency account number, there was an extra letter at the end and they sent the money supposedly to someone else.

and not my account.

>> So the last last letter was different from what it should have been.

>> Correct.

>> Wow.

And was this money that you had given this IT person to do his work that you were getting back or was this money that was coming from the scammer’s account back to you? In other words, did you invest more money at this point? >> I did invest more money to get back my 180.

>> Okay.

And how much was invested at this point when you had the account number problem? >> Wow.

Um, by then it’s hard to say.

Probably a good maybe $250,000.

>> Wow.

Wow.

So obviously they sent your money, your $180,000 that you gave this IT professional to another account.

What happens next? What had happened was in order to investigate where it went, I had to send a deposit which was 20% of the current balance and they promised I would get that money back.

So, I had to find 20% of that balance.

>> Wow.

>> Which was difficult because I was running out of money.

>> Where did that money get sent >> to? the the cryptocurrency company that was investigating the where it was sent >> the lost >> not the IT guy the IT guy showed me what to do to get it to them.

>> So did you have access to this Bitcoin account? Were you able to log in every day and see what was going on? >> Mhm.

>> Wow.

Wow.

So this was all a front.

This wasn’t actually a Bitcoin account.

They mimicked everything.

They mimicked a very well-known company that has great credentials.

Uh, and I even checked the company before I started working, so I felt comfortable.

Yeah.

>> All right, Sue, you’ve got me hanging off a cliff here.

So, what happens next? >> Well, I I had to find the money.

I started with I sold all my stocks, withdrew from my IRA, which entails taxes, >> of course, >> and I had to take out some loans.

And so I sent at that point it was I had to send them $59,000 to investigate.

>> Okay.

So let me fast forward.

When did you come to the realization that this was a second scam? It was actually the first scam initiating the second scam in through the back door.

And how much were you into it at that point when you realized, “Oh my gosh, I’m being scammed again.

” >> It was about $500,000.

>> Wow.

>> Yeah.

We went I went through a couple more deposits because of problems, so to speak, that had to be taken care of that I they guaranteed I’d get my money back.

>> Okay.

Very, very good.

And did they put any of this in writing? Not that it would matter.

Were they sending you any type of contracts to sign or promisory notes, anything like that? No.

>> Nothing at all.

Okay.

All right.

So, when was the day that the scam was finally over? Everything goes silent and the realization sets in.

>> The last deposit I couldn’t come up with enough money and the IT guy said, “Give me a couple days.

Maybe I can raise the money for you.

” So, I’m thinking, “Okay, this is a good guy, right?” He came up with $20,000, but it still wasn’t enough.

>> Okay.

So, he put up his own money at this point, >> supposedly.

>> What you thought was his own money? >> Supposedly.

Yeah.

And then what happens >> again? I tried to withdraw.

They said no because I didn’t have the full deposit.

There was also a glitch where there’s an exchange where they hold the money kind of like a bank and apparently it sat there so long that this exchange thought it was lost or stolen.

So that also involved a deposit.

So when I didn’t have any more money, I had to walk away.

and this guy disappeared.

>> So everything just went quiet on you at that point.

Wow.

Sue, what was that moment like for you? >> It was devastating.

I had lost my savings, lost just about my future, piece of my heart gone.

I was depressed.

Um, and I knew I had spent some of my children and grandchildren’s inheritance, and I had to tell them.

>> Wow.

So, you sat your children down.

How many children do you have? >> I have two sons.

Two grown sons.

>> Okay.

So, you sit them down to talk about this and what happens? >> Well, I I asked him not to say anything or ask any questions and let me tell them everything that happened that that I’m aware of.

At the end, my oldest son just went ballistic.

A lot of yelling, a lot of screaming.

My youngest son is more quiet person.

His ears were so red I could tell his blood pressure was going through the roof.

>> It would have gone ballistic if it was my mother.

So I can imagine your boys were quite upset.

>> Yeah.

The the thing I was having anxiety attacks because my boys have always come to me for business uh discussion for personal issues and they always valued my my thoughts my ideas and I felt as though they’re going to be ashamed of me.

I disappointed them.

It was very give me a minute.

It was very difficult.

It was the most difficult thing I ever did.

>> Can’t even imagine.

And what did your boys say to you? >> After they calmed down, when it came time for them to leave, they both came up to me and put their arms around me and said, “Mom, you’re not in this alone.

It’s the three of us.

We’ll figure it out and we’ll figure out the future together.

” >> Wow.

That’s amazing.

And that is a reflection on you and your late husband’s good parenting skills there.

So I guess it came back to reward you at this point.

So what has this done to you as an individual? >> Oh well there’s a trust factor that has impacted I have always been a a good person, a very giving person and I’ve learned that maybe I need to give to myself a little more.

>> I would agree for sure.

>> And take care of myself a little more.

>> Okay.

And are you I I guess there’s not a day that doesn’t go by that you don’t think about this, >> Matt.

It’s a trauma and it’s it’s like having PTSD.

Every once in a while it rears its ugly head and you just need to be held and told it’s going to be okay.

>> I can’t imagine Sue and I think you’re a remarkable woman >> where and we mentioned this in our last episode.

Most people will stick their head in the sand and not talk about this at all out of embarrassment and shame, but you’ve done just the opposite.

Tell our viewers what you’re currently doing.

Well, after talking to the banks and the police, I found out that there’s very little support groups or recovery groups whether it come from mentally or financially or so I started working with a national organization called fight cyber crime and I also am working with local mental health organization and I have gone to the senior center and and they’re going to allow me to start support groups and bring in speakers that specialize.

It’s important to me that if just one person that I influence that is not a victim, it’s worth all the tears that I’ve shed.

>> I bet.

I bet.

And I I give you such credit because when you go to these community centers, these senior centers, these business lunchons to to speak about what’s happened to you, you’re reliving it every day.

>> Yeah, it’s hard.

>> But I hope talking about it is a form of therapy for you because I have a feeling you’re the type of person that if it can save one person the hardship that you went through, it’s worth all your effort.

Is that correct? >> Absolutely.

I feel very strongly that way.

I mean, all it takes is just one one person that’s saved from this and it’ll be what I went through.

>> And with all the experience that you have and all the reflection that you’ve had at this point, >> what are the biggest warning signs people should look for? >> Somebody never never give anybody money that you don’t know.

Somebody that works into your life very quickly and becomes emotionally attached.

lovebombing as they call it.

>> Big term.

Exactly.

>> Yeah.

>> So when it seems too good to be true, be cautious.

Is that what you would say? >> Yeah.

And trust your intuition.

Trust your intuition.

>> And I want to say this to all our viewers that are out there.

Vulnerability is going to be a weakness we will all have as humans.

No person that is courting you, that is trying to impress you, is going to ask you for money.

It just doesn’t happen that way.

So your first red flag is when they start asking you for favors, start asking you for money.

Would you agree with that? >> Absolutely.

Abs.

The good people and those that want to help are the ones that get caught in this.

>> It’s so true.

And I want to say to our viewers, Sue has been so great in her research and her due diligence that she has given me just a myriad of support information for victims of romance scams and dating scams.

I’m going to put all the links down below in the description.

Take advantage of that.

This is an individual that has suffered some hardship, but has taken it and channelneled that energy somewhere that offers hope to people that are suffering through the same hardship that she went through.

So, I think everyone what you just heard is not rare.

This is happening every single day.

And the people it happens to are good people.

They’re trusting people.

people looking for real relationships like Sue.

So, if you could take one thing from this episode and it can save you the hardship that Sue was so gracious to share with us today, let it be this.

If something feels off, slow it down.

Would you agree, Sue? >> Absolutely.

>> And if someone you’ve never met asked you for money, Sue, what would you say? >> No.

Big no.

I I would say it’s not love.

Okay.

It’s a scam.

Would you agree with me? >> Absolutely.

Absolutely.

Lesson.

Tough tough lesson.

>> Sue, you are a remarkable lady.

And I just want to thank you for having the courage to come online today and and really share the information with us.

So, I’m going to also put Sue’s contact information down below if you’d like to converse with her.

No scammers, please.

When a Dubai police squad descended into the basement of an $80 million villa in March 2025, they expected to find a wine celler or a jewelry vault.

Instead, they discovered seven women in metal cages measuring 2×2 m each chained to the walls.

All were emaciated, covered in bruises and burns, some unable to stand.

One did not respond to voices, staring into space.

Another repeated the same word in Russian over and over.

On the wall of one of the cells, someone had written in blood in English, “God, save me or kill me.

” The squad commander, a veteran police officer with 20 years of experience who had seen a lot in his career, ran upstairs and vomited in the courtyard.

Later, in an interview with an internal investigation, he said that he thought he had seen everything.

murders, drug cartels, terrorists.

But this was something else.

A hell underground built by man for man.

The owner of the villa was Khaled al-Maktum, 49 years old, a member of a distant branch of Dubai’s ruling family, owner of a construction empire worth $400 million.

And the seven women in the basement had not been there for a day, not even a month.

They had been locked up there for 3 years.

The story begins in July 2022 in Kiev, Ukraine.

The country was living in a state of war that had begun in February.

The economy was collapsing and millions of people were looking for ways to survive or leave.

22-year-old Alina Boyco worked as a waitress in a cafe, earning about $200 a month, barely enough to pay for her room and food.

She had a dream of becoming a model.

Although her height of 172 cm was not enough for high fashion, but it was suitable for commercial modeling.

She took photos, posted them on Instagram, and hoped that someone would notice her.

At the end of July, Alina received a message on Instagram from an account belonging to a modeling agency called Lux Models Dubai.

The account looked professional.

20,000 followers, photos of models at shoots, shows, and in studios.

The message was in English and Ukrainian, offering work in Dubai, a 3month contract, and a salary of $3,000 a month, plus accommodation and flights.

She was required to come to Dubai for a casting with the agency paying for her ticket.

Alina checked the agency online.

She found a website that looked legitimate with a portfolio, contacts, and reviews.

She called the number provided and a woman with an accent answered, introducing herself as the agency’s manager.

She confirmed the offer and said that Alina was suitable for advertising shoots and only needed to come pass the final casting and sign the contract.

The ticket would be sent by email.

Alina hesitated.

Ukraine was at war, but Dubai seemed like a safe place, rich and far from the conflict.

She desperately needed the money.

She consulted with her mother, who lived in western Ukraine in relative safety.

Her mother was against it, saying that it could be a scam, human trafficking.

But Alina insisted, saying that it was a chance that the agency looked real, that there was a Ukrainian consulate in Dubai where she could go if there were any problems.

The ticket arrived 2 days later.

Business class Emirates Airline.

Departure in a week.

Alina packed a small suitcase with clothes, cosmetics, and a portfolio with photos.

She flew out of Kiev on August 20th, 2022.

It was the last time her mother saw her free.

At the same time as Alina, other girls in different European countries received similar messages.

23-year-old Anna Smyrnova from Moscow, a student at the Institute of Arts, worked part-time as a photo model.

24year-old Emma Johnson from Manchester, UK, worked in a bar and dreamed of a career in modeling.

21-year-old Sophie Dupont from Paris, France, was a novice model.

20-year-old Julia Romano from Milan, Italy, was a fashion university student.

19-year-old Katarina Novakova from Prague, Czech Republic, had just finished school and wanted to earn money for her education.

23-year-old Marina Sulliva, also from Ukraine, from Odessa, worked as a saleswoman in a clothing store.

They all received the same offers.

They all checked the agency and found it to be legitimate.

They all received business class tickets and they all flew to Dubai between August and December 2022.

None of them knew about the others.

None of them suspected that the agency was fake, created specifically for this operation.

Behind the agency was Khaled al-Maktum.

He was born in 1976 in Dubai to a middle-class family, distant relatives of the ruling dynasty, but without real power or great wealth.

His father owned a small construction company and Khaled studied engineering at a university in the UK before returning to Dubai in the late 1990s to work for his father’s company.

In 2005, his father died and Khaled inherited the company.

By that time, Dubai was experiencing a construction boom.

Skyscrapers were springing up like mushrooms and money was flowing like water.

Khaled proved to be a talented businessman, winning large contracts and building residential complexes, shopping centers, and hotels.

By 2015, his company was worth about $200 million, and by 2020, about $400 million.

But wealth did not bring satisfaction.

Khaled was married and had three children, but he was not interested in family life.

His wife lived separately in another villa with the children, and they only met at official events.

Khaled spent his time with friends, other wealthy businessmen, and members of the royal family, attending private parties where there was alcohol, which is prohibited in Dubai, for Muslims, drugs, and prostitutes.

Sometime around 2018, Khaled developed a specific fantasy.

In interviews he later gave to investigators after his arrest.

He explained that he had always been attracted to European women, especially young blonde women with fair skin.

He said that Eastern women were accessible through prostitution, but European women seemed inaccessible, arrogant, and looked down on Arabs.

He wanted power over them.

Wanted them to be completely at his disposal with no possibility of refusal, no possibility of leaving.

The idea of creating a personal herum of European slaves took root in his mind.

He discussed it with several close friends who shared similar fantasies.

Six of them agreed to participate financially and personally.

They began planning the operation.

The planning took about 2 years.

Khaled hired a security consultant, a former Pakistani police officer who worked as a security guard in Dubai, who agreed to help with the organization for a large fee.

The consultant developed a kidnapping plan that minimized the risks.

Instead of a rough kidnapping on the streets, which would attract the attention of the police, they decided to use deception through a fake modeling agency.

They created a professionallook website, registered a company in Dubai under fictitious names through frontmen, opened an office in a small building, hired a female secretary who was unaware of the real purpose, and paid her simply to answer phone calls and send tickets.

They found potential victims through social media.

Girls from Eastern Europe and poor regions of Western Europe who posted photos, dreamed of a modeling career, and were in difficult financial situations.

They checked their profiles, made sure they were single, had no influential relatives, and were not connected to crime or the police.

They sent offers, paid for tickets, and met them at the airport.

At the same time, Khaled was building an underground structure under his main villa in the Emirates Hills area, one of the most prestigious and secure areas of Dubai.

The villa stood on a plot of 3,000 m, a three-story building with a swimming pool, garden, 8car garage, and wine celler.

Under the wine celler, Khaled ordered an additional basement to be dug 5 m deep and 200 m in area.

The work was carried out by migrant workers from Pakistan and Bangladesh who did not speak English, worked illegally and were paid in cash without documents.

They were told that they were building a storage facility for valuables.

The work lasted 6 months from January to June 2022.

When it was finished, Khaled fired the crew, paid them, and sent them back to their countries by plane so that they would not remain in Dubai and be able to talk about the project.

The underground structure was designed for long-term human habitation.

Eight cells, each measuring 2×2 m, with concrete walls 30 cm thick, iron doors with locks, and small windows for passing food.

Each cell had a concrete bed, a toilet, and a sink.

Nothing else.

No windows, no natural light.

The ventilation was artificial, connected to the villa’s ventilation system, and disguised so that no additional pipes were visible from the surface.

The central room about 60 m in size and simply called the hall contained a large bed, sofas, tables, a refrigerator with drinks, a sound system, and a television.

The walls were lined with soundabsorbing panels to prevent screams from reaching the upper floors.

This was where the victims were to be used.

A separate room measuring about 20 square meters called the medical office contained a couch, cabinets with medicines, instruments, equipment for performing abortions, and basic medical care.

Khaled hired a doctor, a Pakistani who was working illegally in Dubai, who agreed to service the basement for a large sum of money without asking any questions.

Another room small 2×2 m completely dark without ventilation with an iron door was called the black room.

It was intended for punishment.

The entrance to the basement was through a secret door in the wine celler.

A rack with wine bottles moved aside when a hidden button was pressed, revealing a metal door with a combination lock.

Behind the door was a staircase leading down 20 steps to the basement.

The door was 10 cm thick, made of steel, and soundproof.

The entire system was autonomous.

Electricity was supplied by a separate generator disguised in the villa’s technical room.

The ventilation was connected to the general system, but with filters to prevent odors.

Water came from the villa’s common system, but through a separate branch that could not be tracked by meters.

The sewage system was connected to the common system, but through a deep pipe so asn’t to arouse suspicion.

Khaled completed construction by July 2022.

The basement was ready.

All that remained was to fill it.

Alina Boyco flew to Dubai on August 20th.

The plane landed at the international airport at 10 pm Alina passed through passport control without any problems and received a 90-day tourist visa.

She picked up her luggage and went out into the arrivals hall.

A representative of the agency was supposed to meet her there with a sign.

She saw a man about 40 years old in a business suit with a sign with her name on it.

She approached him and said hello.

The man introduced himself as Ahmed, the agency manager, and said that he would take her to the apartment where she would be staying and that she would come to the office for a casting call the next morning.

Alina agreed and followed him to the exit.

A black Mercedes S-Class with tinted windows was waiting at the exit.

The driver loaded her suitcase into the trunk.

Alina sat in the back seat and Akmed sat next to her.

The car started moving.

They drove for about 30 minutes and Alina looked out the window at Dubai at night.

The skyscrapers, the litup roads, the luxury she had never seen before.

She thought about how lucky she was, how her life would change, how much money she would be able to earn.

Then the car turned off the main road, drove through narrow streets, and stopped in front of a tall gate.

The gate opened automatically.

The car drove in, and the gate closed.

Alina became concerned and asked where they were and why the apartments were behind the gate.

Akmed replied that it was a gated community for security.

Nothing unusual.

The car stopped in front of a villa.

Akmed got out, opened the door for Alina, and gestured for her to go inside.

Alina got out and took her suitcase.

They went inside.

The hall was luxurious with marble floors, a crystal chandelier, and a wide staircase leading to the second floor.

Akmed said he would show her to her room.

He led her not upstairs, but downstairs to the basement.

Alina asked why her room was in the basement.

Akmed replied that it was cooler there and the air conditioning worked better.

They went down the stairs to the wine celler.

Akmed walked over to a rack of wine bottles and pressed a hidden button.

The rack moved aside, revealing a metal door.

Alina realized that something was wrong.

She tried to turn around and run away, but the driver, a massive man, was already standing behind her, blocking her way.

Akmed grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to the open door.

Alina screamed and tried to break free.

The driver covered her mouth with one hand and held her waist with the other.

They dragged her through the door and down the stairs to the basement.

Downstairs was a corridor with iron doors on either side.

Akmed opened one of the doors and the driver threw Alina inside.

She fell onto the concrete floor and hit her knee.

She tried to get up and run away, but the door had already closed.

She heard the sound of the lock.

Alina screamed, banged on the door, and demanded to be let out.

No one answered.

She screamed for 10 minutes, then her voice gave out, and she ran out of strength.

She sat down on the floor, leaned against the wall, and began to cry.

The cell was small, 2×2 m, with concrete walls, ceiling, and floor.

There was a single bare light bulb in the ceiling giving off a dim yellow light.

A concrete bed against the wall, hard without a mattress, only a thin blanket and a pillow.

A toilet in the corner, a sink nearby, cold water from the tap, an iron door with a small window measuring 20 by 30 cm at chest level, closed with a metal shutter on the outside.

Alina spent her first night in a panic, unable to sleep, sitting in the corner, trembling with fear and cold.

She didn’t understand where she was, what was happening, what they were going to do to her.

She thought about her mother, who would worry when she couldn’t get through on the phone.

She thought that she had fallen into the trap of human traffickers that they would sell her into prostitution or kill her.

In the morning, at about 8:00, the door opened.

A metal tray with food was pushed through the window.

Boiled rice, stewed vegetables, and a glass of water.

A man’s voice outside said briefly in English, “Eat.

” Alina approached the door and tried to see the face outside, but the angle of view did not allow it.

She screamed, demanded explanations, begged to be let out.

The voice did not answer.

The hatch closed.

Alina did not eat all day, refusing, thinking that the food might be poisoned or laced with drugs.

But by evening her hunger became unbearable.

She drank water and ate a little rice.

After a few hours she realized that there was no poisoning and ate the rest.

The second day was similar to the first.

Food through the window in the morning.

Silence.

No explanations.

Alina screamed, cried, begged, threatened.

No one answered.

On the third day in the evening, the cell door opened.

Standing in the doorway was a man Alina had never seen before.

He was about 50 years old, Arab in appearance, wearing expensive clothes and a watch smelling of perfume.

He looked at her silently, appraisingly.

Alina backed away to the far wall and asked in a trembling voice who he was and what he wanted.

The man entered the cell and closed the door behind him.

He said in accented English that his name was Khaled, that he was the owner of this place, that Alina was now his property, that she would do as he said or be punished.

Alina started screaming and tried to rush to the door.

Khaled grabbed her by the hair and slapped her hard across the face.

Alina fell.

He said that this was a warning and that next time would be worse.

Khaled raped Alina in that cell on a concrete bed.

She tried to resist, scratching and biting him.

He punched her in the stomach and ribs until she stopped resisting from the pain.

When he finished, he got up, got dressed, and said that she would be here for a long time, so she’d better get used to it and cooperate.

He left, locking the door behind him.

Alina lay on the bed motionless in shock with pain throughout her body and blood between her legs.

She didn’t cry or scream.

She just stared at the ceiling unable to believe that this was real.

Over the next few weeks, Khaled came regularly, every 2 or 3 days, used Alina, and left.

Sometimes he brought other men, friends who paid him money for access.

Alina stopped resisting after several brutal beatings, realizing that it only caused more pain, that it was better to endure, not move, and wait for it to end.

2 months after Alina’s arrival in October 2022, a second girl appeared in the basement.

Anna Smeirnova from Moscow.

She was placed in the neighboring cell.

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