Scott Cole, a 63-year-old fitness trainer from Palm Springs, has become an unwitting victim of online romance scams, with scammers using his image to create fake profiles of nonexistent individuals like Kevin Ottomar and Caleb Wilson. Since 2010, Cole has faced ongoing issues as scammers exploit his likeness, leading to significant emotional distress for Cole and financial losses for victims, with the FBI reporting over $50 billion lost to such schemes. One victim, Jennifer Liese, initially engaged with a scammer using Cole’s photo before discovering the truth, prompting her to reach out to him. Cole receives numerous messages from women worldwide who either nearly fell for scams or have lost substantial amounts of money, highlighting the destructive impact of these fraudulent activities.
