I honestly don’t even know how to begin writing this. Over the past week, I’ve been living in what feels like a nightmare:
- My elderly mother, who lives 1,000 miles away from me, was admitted to the ICU and is now fighting for her life
- She appears to have fallen victim to a predatory online romance scam, which seems to be escalating into identity theft
- She seems to have liquidated most of her life savings and assets, and assumed more than $130,000 in apparently fraudulent business loans
Here's what's going on.
A few days ago, my mom was discovered unconscious by her neighbor, rushed to the hospital with severe uncontrolled diabetes, sepsis caused by a hernia, respiratory failure that requires intubation and a ventilator, and dangerously poor blood flow to her foot that doctors say may require amputation. She was placed into a medically induced coma, and we still don’t know if she is going to survive.
While trying to process all of this, I uncovered something possibly even more devastating. I discovered that my mom appears to have been financially ruined by an online romance scam. An entity she met on a dating app by the name of “John Tucker” — and what appear to be AI-fabricated images — seems to have manipulated her into sending him large sums of money, draining her bank account.
As I started going through paperwork, I discovered that she appears to have taken out over $130,000 in loans, has months of past-due bills, possibly committed tax fraud, has become a possible victim of identity theft, and is currently experiencing financial devastation far beyond anything I imagined. Some of these loans also impacted me directly because I was misled into co-signing paperwork—she told me the money was for medical bills and repairs to the house we share ownership of, leaving me potentially responsible for this catastrophe.
What makes this situation even more heartbreaking is that I truly don’t know how much of this was manipulation, how much was confusion, and how much may have been connected to undiagnosed cognitive decline. Looking back, there were signs for a long time that something wasn’t right. I tried over and over to help her, but she is a proud Southern woman who doesn’t like to admit anything is wrong. I never imagined things had gotten this bad.
Her Social Security income appears to have been drained for years by the person or people behind this scam. As I’ve pieced things together, I’ve discovered large amounts of money sent through Bitcoin transactions and Apple gift cards, along with mounting debt, unpaid bills, and notices from the IRS connected to business activity carried out in her name.
Anyone who knows me knows that I hate asking for help. I've always been one to handle things myself, but I genuinely cannot do this alone. Right now, I'm trying to navigate my mom’s medical crisis and possible long-term care needs while protecting myself and my children legally and financially as we uncover the full extent of the damage done. I am my mother’s only child and sole prospective guardian. If you are able to donate and share this fundraiser with others who might be able to help, it would mean more than I can put into words—you'll be helping me protect my family and give my mom a chance at recovery.
Your donations will:
- Offset urgent legal expenses as I work with attorneys, investigators, and financial institutions to untangle the suspected fraud
- Help cover medical and long-term care expenses related to my mother’s hospitalization and recovery
- Prevent the loss of our home by helping address overdue mortgage payments, utilities, and other critical bills
- Address emergency tax, financial, and administrative costs connected to the business loans and related issues discovered in her name
- Compensate for unforeseen travel expenses, missed work, and lost income as I attempt to stabilize this situation and care for my family
Thank you so much for your support.
—Brandon Boudreaux
Organizer
