>>> WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE.
IT'S THE STUFF YOU SEE IN
MOVIES.
STRANGERS MEET AND SPARKS FLY.
IT HAPPENED TO SINGLE MOM AT A
RESTAURANT IN BOCA RATON,
FLORIDA, WHERE SHE MET ERIC,
BUSINESSMAN AND TRAVELER.
SHE THOUGHT SHE MET THE MAN OF
HER DREAMS.
IT TURNED OUT IT WAS ALL A LIE.
WE WILL MEET CATALINA IN A
MINUTE, BUT FIRST WATCH THIS.
>> HE WAS ACROSS THE BAR AND I
SPOTTED HIM RIGHT AWAY.
IT WAS LIKE, WOW, WHO IS THIS
GUY.
BEAUTIFUL BLUE EYES AND WELL
DRESSED.
HE HAD AN AIR OF CONFIDENCE
ABOUT HIM.
HE WAS JUST SO CHARMING.
I MEAN, HE HAD ME AT HELLO.
HE SAID HE WAS AN ART DEALERS,
COMMODITIES AND TRADER.
HE HAD BEEN TRAVELING THE WORLD.
A FEW DATES LATER HE TEXTED ME
AND INVITED ME TO GO AND SPEND
SUNDAY AT THE BOCA RESORT WITH
HIM.
ONE DAY HE ASKED ME TO SELL GOLD
AND HE'LL GIVE ME A 20%
COMMISSION.
I SAID WHY DO YOU WANT TO ME ME
TWO GRAND TO DO SOMETHING YOU
CAN DO.
HE SAID, DARLING, I WILL MAKE
TEN TIMES THAT AMOUNT IN THE
HOUR IT WOULD TAKE ME TO DO
TRADING WITH MY CLIENTS.
HE SOLD ME 24 GOLD COINS AT
$1200 EACH.
I GAVE HIM CASH FOR THAT.
AFTER THAT I ENDED UP GIVING HIM
MORE MONEY.
TWO YEARS AFTER I MET HIM, HE
SAID TO ME, DARLING, YOUR
FINANCIAL ADVISER HAS DONE
NOTHING FOR YOU OVER ALL THESE
YEARS.
I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.
YOU NEED TO GIVE ME THAT MONEY.
I CAN TRADE IT FOR YOU AND MAKE
TEN TIMES THAT.
A WEEK LATER HE SAID, HEY, I
MADE YOU SIX GRAND IN FIVE DAYS.
I LOGGED IN AND IT WAS LIKE,
WAIT, THAT'S 6,000 LESS.
I TEXTED HIM AND SAID, NO, YOU
LOST ME SIX GRAND.
THAT'S WHEN I CALLED E-TRADE AND
FOUND OUT ERIC BENSON WAS NOT MY
TRADER.
I HAD TO CHANGE MY PASSWORD, GET
MORE LEVELS OF SECURITY SO HE
COULDN'T GET INTO IT.
MY REAL FINANCIAL ADVISER, HE
SAID, CATALINA, PLEASE GO HAVE
YOUR GOLD TESTED.
I WENT, HAD IT TESTED.
IT TOOK THEM FIVE SECONDS TO
TELL ME IT WAS FAKE, WHICH WAS
JUST A TERRIBLE MOMENT, YOU
KNOW.
YOU REALIZE TWO YEARS OF YOUR
LIFE HAVE BEEN A COMPLETE SHAM,
THAT YOU WERE LITERALLY SLEEPING
WITH THE ENEMY.
>> ALL RIGHT.
PLEASE WELCOME CATALINA.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> SO FIRST OF ALL.
>> THE PERSON WHO GOT ME OUT OF
IT.
>> HE'S THE ONE WHO SAID, FOR
THE LOVE OF GOD, PLEASE HAVE THE
GOLD TESTED.
>> YES.
THE MAN WHO TRIED TO GET ME NOT
TO SELL THE GOLD IN THE FIRST
PLACE.
>> RIGHT.
>> HE WAS THE FIRST MAN TO SAY,
CATALINA, IT'S JUST MONEY.
HE DIDN'T JUDGE ME AFTER ALL OF
THAT.
SO I WAS VERY GRATEFUL.
>> ERIC IS THE CAT.
BEFORE KEITH SAID GO HAVE YOUR
GOLD TESTED, DID YOU HAVE A RED
>> A LOT OF RED FLAGS.
THE LAST FEW WEEKS HE HAD -- I
THINK HE WAS DESPERATE FOR
MONEY, SO HE GOT ME TO GIVE HIM
THE REST OF MY MONEY FOR E-TRADE
AND THEN HE STARTED LOSING ME A
LOT OF MONEY ON E-TRADE.
HE STARTED TO -- ELVES AWAY MORE
AND MORE.
HE WAS SUPPOSEDLY INVENTING THIS
GADGET, SO HE WAS TALKING ABOUT
THIS GADGET THE WHOLE TIME.
SO HE WAS AWAY ON THE WEEKEND
TAKING THE GADGET TO A FARMERS
MARKET AND JUST AWAY A LOT.
AND THE E-TRADE THING REALLY SET
OFF ALL THE ALARMS.
>> HE SAID HE GOT YOU MONEY AND
HE LOST YOU MONEY.
WHAT ABOUT, DID HE INTRODUCE YOU
TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS?
>> NEVER.
I NEVER MET ANYONE HE KNEW.
BUT HE ALWAYS HAD A GREAT
ANSWER.
OH, DARLING, THEY ARE IN
CALIFORNIA.
I'VE BEEN IN SINGAPORE, HONG
KONG FOR EIGHT YEARS.
I'M JUST COMING BACK TO THE U.S.
I'M ALWAYS BUSY WITH GOLFING
DINNERS AND MAKING THOUSANDS OF
DOLLARS FOR MY CLIENTS.
OFF TO JUPITER AND OFF TO HERE.
>> IS IT TRUE HE ALSO GOT YOU TO
GET YOUR SON TO INVEST WITH HIM.
>> YES.
THAT WAS -- WHEN HE MESSED WITH
MY SON, THAT'S WHEN HE CROSSED
THE LINE.
HE MET HIM ONLY TWO OR THREE
TIMES.
HE STARTED BOMBARDING HIM WITH
TEXTS AND E-MAILS ABOUT GOLD,
YOU KNOW.
MY SON, WHO WAS 24, AND WHAT US
ABOUT TO GO TO AUSTRALIA FOR A
YEAR WAS LIKE, HEY, MAYBE I
SHOULD INVEST IN GOLD JUST TO
MAKE YOUR LITTLE NEST EGG
BIGGER.
HE ASKED ME, HE SAID, DO YOU
THINK I SHOULD BUY SOME GOLD.
I SAID, LISTEN, YOU DO WHAT YOU
NEED TO DO.
I THINK GOLD IS A GOOD
INVESTMENT.
I DID IT.
YOU DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.
HE TRUSTED ME BECAUSE THAT WAS
MY BOYFRIEND.
FOR THAT I FEEL TERRIBLE.
MORE THAN WHAT HAPPENED TO ME,
WHAT HE DID TO MY SON IS
UNFORGIVABLE.
>> BUT THEN YOU STARTED TO GET
SMART, AND YOU HIRED A PI.
WHICH IS WHERE THINGS GOT REALLY
INTERESTING IN TERMS
>>> SO WE'RE HERE NOW WITH
CATALINA ROSA, WHO DISCOVERED
HER BOYFRIEND OF TWO YEARS WHO
SHE MET IN A RESTAURANT WAS NOT
WHO HE SEEMED.
HE HAD GIVEN HER A FAKE NAME.
NOW HE'S CHARGED WITH FLEECING
HER AND HER SON OUT OF MORE THAN
$50,000.
SO YOU'RE NOT A RICH WOMAN.
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A LIVING.
>> I'M AN INTERPRETER, FREELANCE
COURT INTERPRETER.
I LOVE MY JOB.
I'M NOT AT RICH WOMAN.
>> $50,000 HURTS.
>> YES, IT DOES.
>> YOU START TO THINK SOMETHING
SKETCHY GOING ON.
YOU HIRE A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR.
THEN WHAT?
>> I DON'T HIRE, I CONTACT
SECRET SERVICE.
I GOT LUCKY BECAUSE I GOT THIS
AGENT WHO IS YOUNG AND HELPED ME
SO MUCH.
HE WENT FAR AND BEYOND WHAT HE
HAD TO DO, WENT TO ALL THE
PLACES I TOLD HIM ERIC WOULD
FREQUENT LIKE COUNTRY CLUBS AND
RESTAURANTS.
HE WOULD LEAVE HIS CARD AND THE
PI WOULD LEAVE THE FLYER.
THAT'S WHAT THEY DID FOR LIKE A
MONTH OR TWO.
BUT THERE WAS NO SIGHTING OF
HIM.
I STARTED TO LOSE HOPE.
I THOUGHT, MAYBE HE'LL NEVER BE
CAUGHT.
THAT REALLY HURT.
>> SO WE JUMPED AHEAD OF
OURSELF.
YOU GET SECRET SERVICE INVOLVED.
THEY WERE INVOLVED BECAUSE FALSE
GOLD COINS.
>> COUNTERFEIT.
>> WE WERE BACK AT THE BREAK,
YOU REALIZE THESE GOLD COINS ARE
FAKE, THE GUY IS A FRAUD.
THERE WAS A MOMENT WHEN YOU HAD
A LITTLE REDEMPTION WITH HIM.
>> BEFORE HE KNEW I KNEW, I WAS
STILL TEXTING HIM LIKE NORMAL.
HEY, DARLING.
HEY, I NEED TO SELL FOUR COINS,
I'VE GOT MONEY BACK.
SHOULD I SELL THEM THROUGH YOU.
HE SAID, YES, YES, THROUGH ME.
HE COULDN'T HAVE ME GO ANYWHERE
ELSE BECAUSE THEY WERE FAKE.
HE SAID I NEEDED $5,000.
HE TRIED TO DISSUADE ME.
I INSISTED.
SO WE MET AT A BAR.
HE GAVE ME FIVE GRAND.
THAT WAS THE LAST TIME I SAW
HIM.
BUT IT WAS JUST SUCH A GREAT
FEELING GETTING $5,000 AND ME
GIVING HIM FAKE COINS.
>> YOU CONNED THE CON MAN.
>> YES, I LOVE IT.
>> THEN YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE
NOT THE ONLY ONE.
>> WHO ELSE WAS IN HIS LIFE?
>> THERE WAS ANOTHER GIRLFRIEND.
I DON'T WANT TO MENTION HER
NAME.
I MET HER, ACTUALLY, AND I FOUND
A LOT OF THINGS THROUGH HER LIKE
HIS REAL NAME, BLAINE FREDERICK.
HE GREW UP IN CALIFORNIA BUT
HE'S FROM CANADA.
HE COMES FROM A VERY WEALTHY
FAMILY, FROM WHAT I HEAR.
HE DIDN'T NEED TO DO THIS.
HE'S A SOCIOPATH WITH NO EMPATHY
AND NO REGARD FOR ANYONE BUT HIS
OWN.
>> YOU AND SHE ADDED UP THE
FACTS ABOUT HIM.
>> SHE HELPED ME OUT --
>> WAS HE DOING THE SAME STUFF
WITH HER, GOLD COINS AND
INVESTMENT.
>> HE TIED.
SHE'S WEALTHY CHBLGT SHE DIDN'T
FALL FOR THAT.
SHE DIDN'T NEED TO DO ANY OF
THAT.
HE MOOCHD OFF OF HER FOR THREE
YEARS.
SHE HAD A BEAUTIFUL HOUSE IN
BOCA, A BEAUTIFUL HOUSE IN THE
NORTHEAST.
HE WOULD GO WITH HER IN THE
SUMMERS WHEN I THOUGHT HE WAS
TRAVELING TO HONG KONG AND
SINGAPORE DOING OUR DEALS, HE
WAS MOOCHING OFF OF HER HOUSE.
>> HOW MANY WOMEN DO YOU THINK
HE DID THIS TO?
>> RECENTLY, A COUPLE MONTHS
AGO, A DETECTIVE CALLED ME AND
SAID ANOTHER WOMAN FROM PALM
SPRINGS, FLORIDA, HAS COME
FORWARD WITH THE SAME SCHEME
WITH GOLD.
SO I KNOW THERE'S HER, THE OTHER
LADY I MET.
HE DIDN'T ACTUALLY STEAL FROM
HER, HE USED HER.
ME, MY SON.
>> WHO KNOWS?
>> WHO KNOWS.
>> HE'S CHARGED, IN JAIL,
CHARGED WITH GRAND THEFT OVER
$25,000 AND MANY OTHERS.
HIS PUBLIC DEFENDER DID NOT GIVE
A COMMENT GIVEN IT WAS A PENDING
CASE.
WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO OTHER
WOMEN OUT THERE?
>> MY MESSAGE IS TO NOT BE
SILENCED BY HUMILIATION AND
SHAME.
I FELT A LOT OF THAT.
WHEN YOU'RE CONNED, WHEN YOU'RE
FOOLED LIKE THAT, IT'S JUST NOT
EASY TO TAKE.
YOU'RE JUDGED BY FAMILY AND
YOU'RE JUDGED BY FRIENDS BECAUSE
THEY SEE YOU AS FOOLISH.
I WANT TO SEND A MESSAGE THAT
THESE PEOPLE PREY ON TRUSTING
PEOPLE, LOVING PEOPLE, AND THEY
ARE CON ARTISTS.
>> TRUE SOCIOPATHS ARE
INCREDIBLY GIFTED AT
MANIPULATION.
YOU SHOULD NOT BLAME YOUR SELF,
INCREDIBLIMENTS GIFTED AT