Example: How a Wrong-Number Text Cost Larry Over $1 Million

A 70-something widower sits alone at a dining table set for one in the evening; a framed wedding photo on the sideboard; his phone glows on the table with a message bubble.

Larry Sorenson is a 71-year-old retired widower from Brentwood, California. His wife of 35 years died of cancer in December 2024. In July 2025, a text arrived from an unknown number. A woman named Tina had messaged the wrong person. They talked every day. She was warm, funny, and interested in his life.

Weeks passed. She mentioned crypto investments and showed him her returns. He invested. By the time he realized what had happened, Larry had lost over $1 million, including his retirement savings^[1]. He may lose his home. "What I've done has completely flipped my life upside-down," he said. "Be cautious online."