A 63-year-old Texas woman named Betsy has become the center of a devastating romance scam that cost her thousands of dollars, her marriage of 43 years, and nearly her entire life savings. After entering what she believed was a Tesla giveaway contest online, Betsy received a message from someone claiming to be billionaire Elon Musk, and she fell for it completely.
What started as innocent online communication quickly escalated into an all-consuming relationship. The scammer showered Betsy with constant attention, checking on her throughout the day with messages asking if she had eaten and professing his love.
Betsy became so convinced of the relationship’s authenticity that she began referring to herself and “Elon” as already married, even though they had never spoken by phone or video chat.
The financial exploitation was swift and severe. The imposter convinced Betsy to invest in what he called a special “dashboard” savings program for his employees and requested funds for various projects.
She complied by purchasing thousands of dollars in gift cards, taking cash advances on credit cards, and even selling all her jewelry. These were pieces with sentimental value that her husband John had given her over their four decades together. Estimates suggest she sent between $10,000 and $15,000 to the scammer, though the actual amount may be higher.
Most surprising, at the scammer’s urging, Betsy filed for divorce from John. She packed her belongings into boxes, selecting cherished items and mementos from her life, preparing to leave everything behind. She genuinely believed that Elon Musk would arrive at her door in a Tesla with $100,000 cash in the backseat to whisk her away to California.
Desperate to save his mother, Betsy’s son Brian contacted the Catfished team for help. When family members attempted their own intervention, Betsy became violent, even punching Brian and her husband, which resulted in her arrest and a night in jail.
Making matters worse, while the family worked to bail her out, they fell victim to another scam. This time, it was someone impersonating the local sheriff’s office, costing them an additional $3,400.
The Catfished investigators uncovered major evidence. Using an IP tracker disguised as a flight booking link, they discovered that the person Betsy was communicating with was located in Nigeria,not California. They also found that a woman named Connie, to whom Betsy had sent $1,400 via FedEx, was responding to fake Elon Musk profiles online and was likely part of the scam operation.
Most convincingly, they tracked the real Elon Musk’s private jet to Austin, Texas, where he was conducting a live Tesla shareholder meeting,at the exact moment “Elon” was texting Betsy.
During the confrontation, even as the evidence mounted, Betsy struggled to accept reality. She made excuses for why “Elon” needed money and couldn’t video chat, citing security concerns and his busy schedule. When investigators showed her that messages from her “Elon” were coming from Nigeria while the real Elon Musk appeared live on camera, the delusion finally began to crack.
Perhaps most heartbreaking was Betsy’s treatment of John throughout the ordeal. She conducted her online affair openly in front of him, laughed about it during the investigation, and had even asked him if he would “step up to the plate” and be the husband she wanted if Elon turned out to be fake. John, meanwhile, had remained patient and supportive despite the betrayal, even cooking her meals while she prepared to abandon him.
After the revelation, Betsy deleted the scammer’s contact information and apps, but showed little emotion about losing someone she claimed to love. Her primary concern seemed to be that the relationship wasn’t real rather than remorse for what she had put her family through.
The investigation team urged her to seek professional help to understand why she felt compelled to fill an emotional void with online relationships and to work on herself before deciding whether to reconcile with John.