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A California widow says she lost $425,000, including the proceeds from selling her home, to an online suitor who promised marriage, a dream home and access to his supposed $7 million fortune.
Bonnie Doose, 76, of Riverside, never met the man who called himself “Dean Ramirez,” but over two years she wired him $250,000 from her bank account and another $175,000 after selling her house, believing his repeated claims that he only needed money to clear a tax lien that had frozen his millions.
The pair met through a dating app after Doose became a widow in 2023, when her husband Kirk died by suicide while battling a terminal illness.
Living alone with no children, she hoped to find companionship. “I just put it out there,” she told The Orange County Register. “I’m honest.”
Ramirez claimed he was a 60-year-old widower working on an oil rig and repeatedly assured Doose he would repay her as soon as his money was released.
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He even texted her what appeared to be a screenshot of a $7 million bank balance as the pair browsed homes online and planned a future together.
“You almost feel brainwashed at a point,” Doose said. “And you feel lucky that you found somebody who cares.”
Despite having college degrees and a career in child development, Doose said she never imagined she would become a victim.
“I’m not stupid,” she said, adding that she believes she may be experiencing mild dementia. The requests for money kept coming.
When Ramirez asked for another $116,000 in December 2025, Doose sold her Riverside home for $377,000, about $90,000 below market value, according to her attorney, John E. Tiedt.
Even after the sale, she continued sending money, wiring Ramirez another $23,000, then $20,000 and finally $16,000 after he assured her, “We’re almost there.”
A neighbor repeatedly warned Doose she was being scammed. “I didn’t want to believe he was that good,” she said.
Only after contacting Tiedt and Riverside police did she cut off the payments.
She is still living in the house for now because of the buyer’s goodwill, but Tiedt said a plan to help her keep the home is likely to fail.
Tiedt said the scam succeeded because the suspect gained Doose’s complete trust.
“The hook was in.”
Riverside police Detective Robert Olsen, who investigated the case, said romance scams remain the most common fraud targeting people 65 and older.
He believes Doose’s scammer is based in Nigeria and uses intermediaries to avoid arrest.
“Primarily, when we are dealing with the elderly, it’s not about educating the elderly as much as educating the people around them to notice when these things are occurring,” Olsen told The Orange County Register.
Even after Doose stopped sending money, Ramirez continued trying to contact her.
During an interview with The Press-Enterprise, he texted: “Honey I have been so worried,” followed by a prayer emoji. “Please try to reach me. Dean.”
Doose now has simple advice for anyone asked to send money to someone they’ve never met.
“Get rid of them fast,” she said.
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