Scammer pretending to be Keanu Reeves bilks Bay Area woman out of $160K: Documents
PALMETTO, Fla. - A Bay Area woman is out tens of thousands of dollars after sending money to a scammer, who claimed to be celebrity Keanu Reeves.
The backstory:
Dianne Ringstaff told FOX 13 she was playing the game, Words With Friends, when someone messaged her, saying he was the Hollywood actor, whose movies include Speed, The Matrix, and John Wick.
Ringstaff said she was in disbelief.
"It can't be," Ringstaff said of her initial thoughts. "Until he videoed me, and I was like, oh my God, that's him!"
The Hillsborough County resident said she saw Reeves when he video-chatted her.
"I couldn't believe it. It was him, but it was far away. But I thought it was him," Ringstaff said.
Dianne Ringstaff said she was scammed out of $160,000 by someone claiming to be Keanu Reeves.
She also received audio messages from the person, who she said sounded exactly like Reeves.
"I was like that’s him!" Ringstaff exclaimed.
Their conversations continued over the next two and a half years. But then there were repeated requests for money. Ringstaff said he claimed a former manager was suing him, that he was in legal trouble after the FBI reportedly planted drugs in his house, and that the courts froze all his assets. Now, he needed tens of thousands of dollars in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency.
READ: Suspected romance scammer swindles $100K from Bradenton widower: Police
Ringstaff said she did ask questions.
"I said, but why don't you have a bank account?" she asked.
But she also wanted to help, so she sent him money.
Keanu Reeves attends the "John Wick: Chapter 4" UK Gala Screening at Cineworld Leicester Square on March 06, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/WireImage)
"I was vulnerable, I just lost my boyfriend," Ringstaff explained. "And then later that summer in 2022, my dog died."
Ringstaff took out a home equity loan and sold her car. She estimates her total losses are over $160,000.
"I just hope that nobody is as stupid and naive as I was," Ringstaff said.
Dig deeper:
Romance scammers are getting even more sophisticated. Some use artificial intelligence to impersonate celebrities through realistic images, videos, and recordings. But it’s all fake.
Just last month, deputies with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office showed up at Ringstaff’s door and told her the scammers were funneling other victims’ money through her financial accounts.
"Then he said, ‘well, you're not the only one being scammed,’" Ringstaff said of her conversation with the deputies. "And I said, oh my God and I just broke down and cried."
READ: Romance scam: Pinellas deputy's photos, information used thousands of times by social media scammers
Ringstaff is now sharing her story, so others know what to watch out for.
"I'm by myself. I didn't have anybody to talk to, to give me guidance," Ringstaff told FOX 13. "So, then I got mad, and I started getting my things together, and now I'm on track to get back on track."
Romance scams have become one of the most common types of fraud in 2025. No arrests have been made in Ringstaff’s case.
"Knowing what I know now and all the technology that's out there, can fake voices and everything else. It will never happen again," Ringstaff said. "But I just want to let people know not to be naive and stupid and do your research and don't give anybody your personal information unless you already know them."
The Source: This story was written with information gathered by FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia.
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
- Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV
- Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android
- Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines
- Download the SkyTower Radar app
- Sign up for FOX 13’s daily newsletter
- Follow FOX 13 on YouTube