Mariana Van Zeller Goes Undercover to Expose 1B Romance Scam Industry
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EVERY NETWORK'S FRAMING
“MARIANA VAN ZELLER GOES UNDERCOVER TO EXPOSE 1B ROMANCE SCAM INDUSTRY”
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Topic poll · all networksHow many Americans reported romance scams to the FTC in 2022?
- 25,000
- 70,000
- 140,000
- 300,000
Guess, then reveal the answer
70,000
Topic poll · all networksWhich tech shift most supercharged romance scams?
Crypto is now romance scammers' #1 payment tool, per the FTC.
In 2022, crypto accounted for $185M of the $1.3B lost to romance scams — more than any other method. Like untraceable wire transfers of the 1990s, crypto lets scammers vanish with victims' money instantly.
Topic poll · all networksWho bears most responsibility for stopping romance scams?
UK banks must reimburse romance scam victims — U.S. banks don't.
Since 2024, the UK requires banks to refund push-payment fraud victims up to £85,000. No equivalent U.S. law exists, leaving most American romance scam victims with no recourse after wiring money.
Mariana van Zeller won a Peabody for undercover crime reporting!
Van Zeller's NatGeo series 'Trafficked' earned a Peabody Award by embedding her in drug cartels, arms markets & trafficking networks — making her one of TV's most decorated undercover journalists.