Hold onto your hearts, Craven County! Deputies have just flown in Christina Julian, a Naples, Florida resident, under stinging accusations of running a jaw-dropping romance swindle, pocketing a whopping $3 million from starry-eyed victims nationwide over six years.
Last week, law enforcement whisked the 56-year-old back to North Carolina in dramatic fashion, slapping her with some heavyweight charges.
Locally, Julian allegedly wooed a Craven County woman out of $139,900 in a so-called rescue mission to bring a mysterious man ‘back’ to America, according to warrants. The elaborate plot unfolded from July 21 to August 28 of last year, court papers reveal. Now, Julian faces serious heat: obtaining property by false pretense worth over $100,000 and felony exploiting the elderly. She’s cooling her heels in jail with a staggering $350,000 bond as the scandal snowballs.
The Federal Trade Commission warns love-seekers everywhere: digital romance could come with a hefty price tag! Swindlers stalk dating sites and social media, luring lonely hearts with fake photos and smooth talk. Once romance blooms, the con kicks in—they spin tear-jerking stories and beg for cash, often in the form of hard-to-trace gift cards.
Tinder App
Con artists will dodge face-to-face meetings, dangling stories about being overseas—whether it’s oil rigs, military posts, or globe-trotting charities. They plead for money, citing emergencies, travel expenses, visa woes, or promising ‘the next big thing’ in crypto investing. Their preferred payday? Anything that’s quick and virtually impossible to claw back: think wire services, online transfers, or gift cards with hidden codes.
Victims are urged to act fast. Paid a scammer? Ring up your bank or the payment company now! Tell them what happened and fight for that refund. Suspect a scam? Slam the brakes and file a report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov—and blast the dating app or website too.
Bottom line: Never ship money or presents to anyone you haven’t met face-to-face. That ‘true love’ online could be a true fraud lurking in your DMs.
