Californian Man Victimized by Decade-Long Romance Scam Nightmare

In the past 15 years, a 63-year-old Californian man named Scott Cole has become the unwitting victim of a widespread romance scam. Since around 2010, his photos and likeness have been used to create fraudulent social media accounts, which scammers then use to form romantic relationships with women around the world and extort money from them.

Cole, a fitness trainer from Palm Springs, California, has had hundreds of women contact him over the years, alerting him that his identity is being used in these scams. He has filed reports with the FBI, but says the agency has not responded, likely because the issue is so prevalent, not just with his photos but with those of many other people as well.

The scammers have created fake profiles on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn, sometimes using Cole's real name or fake names but always his real photos. This has caused him significant distress, as he feels his career, which has been focused on helping people, is now being used "to do something really awful." He often searches for his name online to try to find and report the fake accounts, but the problem has become overwhelming.

One victim, Jennifer Liese from Kassel, Germany, shared her experience of being scammed by someone using Cole's photos. She began an online relationship in March 2025 with a man claiming to be "Kevin Ottomar," who eventually asked her for money to help with a work-related issue. Liese became suspicious and discovered the man was not who he claimed to be, but rather a scammer using Cole's identity. Fortunately, she did not lose any money in the scheme.

As the FBI has not provided a meaningful response, Cole is left to deal with the ongoing fallout from these scams on his own. He continues to be contacted by victims, and the emotional toll of having his identity exploited in this way has taken a significant personal and professional toll.