Facebook Romance Costs Local Man Thousands

SELMA, N.C. – What began as an unexpected Facebook message and developed into a months-long online romance ended with a Selma man losing more than $5,000.

The 62-year-old victim told authorities a woman contacted him through Facebook approximately five months ago. The two began communicating regularly and developed what he believed was a romantic relationship.

After several weeks, the woman began asking him to purchase Xbox gift cards.

The man bought the cards and provided her with the numbers needed to redeem them.

Over time, the requests continued. Before realizing the woman was not who she claimed to be, the victim had purchased approximately $5,250 in gift cards.

The incident has been reported to law enforcement and remains under investigation.

Similar Cases Have Cost Local Residents Much More

The case is the latest in a series of romance scams reported in Johnston County.

In September, an 83-year-old Johnston County woman reported losing $4,500 to an online acquaintance who professed his love, talked about marriage and claimed he needed money before traveling to meet her. She sent money through Bitcoin and gift cards before recognizing the scam.

In 2025, a Selma woman lost $26,242 after meeting a man on Facebook who claimed to be a four-star U.S. general stationed in Africa. He convinced her to send Bitcoin payments to supposedly help secure his release from military duties so he could travel to meet her.

Another Johnston County woman lost nearly $273,000 — her life savings — after developing an online relationship with a man who claimed to be an Army brigadier general stationed in Syria. That scam continued for more than a year.

In one of the largest local cases previously reported by JoCoReport, an 82-year-old western Johnston County woman lost approximately $1 million to someone she believed she was romantically involved with.

Warning Signs

Romance scammers often spend weeks or months developing trust before asking for money. Requests may begin with relatively small amounts before becoming more frequent or expensive.

Gift cards are a major warning sign. Once a victim provides the card number and PIN, the money can often be taken immediately and may be difficult or impossible to recover.

Residents should be suspicious when someone they have never met in person quickly professes love, discusses marriage or repeatedly finds reasons why they cannot meet face-to-face.

Never send gift cards, cryptocurrency, cash or wire transfers to an online romantic interest you have never met.

Authorities also recommend talking with a trusted friend or family member before sending money to someone met online. If the person requesting money insists the relationship or payments be kept secret, that should raise additional concerns.