His father lost his life’s savings in a scam. A fake lawyer offered to help.

Nick Jonas, who was recently contacted by a lawyer, who turned out to be a fraud, that said he could help Nick’s father recoup money he had lost to cybercriminals that ensnared him in an elaborate romance scam two years ago, in Brooklyn, Oct. 5, 2024. Many cybercrime victims are re-targeted by online scammers posing as lawyers or other professionals. — Jeenah Moon/The New York Times

It has been two years since Nick Jonas’ father was ensnared in an elaborate romance scam, where cybercriminals took off with at least US$1mil (RM3.9mil) of his savings. His father, now 81, had clung to the idea that the scammers were legitimate – but, in time, he eventually entrusted his financial affairs to his son, who wanted to protect his parents from further damage.

Then came a glimmer of hope.