have you ever been in a relationship with roxanne reed?no. >> reporter: the real scott humpal lives over 1200 miles away in corpus christi, texas. seven years ago, humpal's wife died in a plane crash, soon after he started receiving suspicious messages on facebook. >> it just seemed odd, because i didn't know them. so i sent a message back and say, "do i know you?" and then they would say, "yes." >> reporter: humpal discovered scammers had created multiple profiles under his name. identity theft expert adam levin says humpal checked off all the boxes for a catfisher: a handsome well-to-do widower. how would you describe these catfishing fraudsters? >> they're emotional terrorists. >> reporter: emotional terrorists? >> they don't care who they destroy, how they destroy them, whatever. all they want is they want money. >> reporter: for catfishing victims, like retired nursing assistant beverly franzke, red flags are often missed. why did you go on match.com? >> just maybe to find somebody to talk to. >> reporter: she fell for a man claiming

have you ever been in a relationship with roxanne reed? >> no. >> reporter: the real scott humpal lives ove12 away in corpus christi, texas. seven years ago, humpal's wife died in a plane crash, soon after he started receiving suspicious messages on facebook. >> it just seemed odd, because i didn't know them. so i sent a message back and say, "do i know you?" and then they would say, "yes." >> reporter: humpal discovered scammers had created multiple profiles under his name. identity theft expert adam levin says humpal checked off all the boxes for a catfisher: a handsome well-to-do widower. how would you describe these catfishing fraudsters? >> they're emotional terrorists. >> reporter: emotional terrorists? >> they don't care who they destroy, how they destroy them, whatever. all they want is they want money. >> reporter: for catfishing victims like retired nursing assistant beverly franzke, red flags are often missed. why did you go on match.com? >> maybe to find somebody to talk to. >> reporter: she fell for a man claiming to be a serv

the online romance started in january, when 65-year-old roxanne reed fell for someone on facebook calledott humpal, the scammer started to ask for money to pay medical bills, even though they never met in person, she sent the stranger more than $50,000 over seven months. >> we are able to get hold of some text messages, that led to the charge that we are looking at today. >> reporter: but when family members finally reported the scam, investigators alleged that reed, now out of money, had been plotting to kill her 88-year-old mother. she is now been charged with several counts of fraud and conspiracy, to commit mutter with the fake scott humpal. >> reporter: have you ever been in a relationship with roxanne reed? no. >> the real scott humpal lives in texas. his wife died in a plane crash, and soon after, he received suspicious mess on facebook. >> it seemed odud, i did not knw them. i sent a message that said, do i know you? and they said, yes, i've been conversing with you for months on match.com. >> reporter: he discovered that scammers had created multiple profiles under his name. how

the online romance started in january when 65-year-old roxanne reed fell for someone shed me on facebooklves scott humbal. reed claims the scammer started asking for money to pay medical bills. even though they never met in person, she sent the stranger more than $50,000 over seven months. >> we're able to get hold of some text messages that led to the charge we're looking at today. >> reporter: when family members finally reported the scam, investigators alleged that reed, now out of money, had been plotting to kill her 88-year-old mother. she's now been charged with several counts of fraud and conspiracy to commit murder with the fake scott humpel. the real scott humpel lives in corpus christi, texas. seven years ago, his wife died in a plane crash. soon after, he started receiving suspicious messages on facebook. >> just seemed odd because i didn't know them so i sent a message back and say, do i know you, and then they'd say yes, i've been conversing with you on christian mingle or on match.com or something for months. >> reporter: humpel had discovered scammers created multiple prof