Manhattan Woman Duped Out of $272K by Bumble ‘Boyfriend’ in Elaborate Brooklyn Property Scam
Swipe right for heartbreak! A Manhattan woman is reeling after falling prey to an alleged con artist she met on dating app Bumble—losing a jaw-dropping $272,000 in a so-called property investment scheme orchestrated by her beau. The shocking deception was revealed when Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced charges on Thursday, December 18.
The accused charmer, Brandon Dae Up Kiehm, 45, reportedly spun a web of lies, using a fake identity—”Dae Up Lee Kim”—to woo his 44-year-old victim. Masquerading as a Stanford-educated finance whiz, Kiehm apparently convinced his love interest they could score big together on a Brooklyn house.
Back in 2019, the couple met online. Fast forward to February 2020, Kiehm pitched what seemed like a golden opportunity: they’d buy a Brooklyn property at auction. The woman, busy with work travel, entrusted him with the bidding. That’s when things took a dark turn.
Kiehm allegedly told his girlfriend they landed in second place at the auction and urged her to send a cashier’s check—$78,250—to what he claimed was the property’s trustee. But prosecutors say that money was actually sent to an unnamed co-conspirator in Kiehm’s circle.
Just two weeks on, another twist: the top bidder supposedly dropped out. Time to wire more cash, Kiehm insisted. The trusting woman sent two big transfers: $86,750 and $107,000—coughing up nearly $200,000 more, and even signed a contract for the sale, documents say.
But it was all a smoke-and-mirrors act. Investigators allege the funds were quickly emptied from accounts tied to Kiehm and his partner-in-crime. Suspicion finally crept in after the woman found IDs around her boyfriend’s apartment that didn’t match the name he’d given her. Stunned, she called the real Brooklyn property broker—only to be told Kiehm had never even placed a bid.
Confronted with the evidence, Kiehm admitted his real identity. Now he faces a hefty grand larceny charge in Manhattan Supreme Court, though he’s out on non-monetary bail. His alleged accomplice remains a mystery.
DA Bragg warned, “Romance scams are disturbingly common—and this office won’t stand by when hearts (and wallets) are shattered by calculated criminals.”
Cupid’s arrow, in this case, led straight to court.
