Scammers target widows and divorced women using public data sources

International Women’s Day celebrates empowerment, independence and resilience. However, we rarely talk about a difficult reality. Women going through major life transitions, particularly widows and divorced women, have become prime targets for sophisticated financial scams. In fact, scammers often look for people going through emotional or financial changes. That’s exactly what happened to one woman interviewed by ICE after losing her husband and turning to online dating.

“Someone suggested I go online through a dating service…and this guy’s pictures came up. He wasn’t George Clooney, nothing gorgeous, but he looked like my husband.”

Stories like this highlight an uncomfortable truth. Romance scams don’t succeed because the victims are careless. Instead, scammers carefully identify potential targets and craft messages that are personal and credible. Increasingly, this targeting starts with data.

Fraudsters often build trust slowly through online conversations before introducing fake investment opportunities. (iStock)

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Life transitions create digital signals

When a person loses a spouse or divorces, certain information often becomes public or commercially available:

• Obituaries list surviving spouses, family members, and cities.
• Property records reflect changes in ownership.
• Court filings can indicate marital status updates.
• Changes of address and household composition the teams are registered in the databases.

Data brokers collect and package this information. They create profiles that may include:

• Age
• Real estate property
• Estimated income or home value
• Household composition
• Civil status indicators

While this data is often sold for advertising purposes, it can also be misused. Fraudsters do not seek out their victims randomly. They build targeting lists. And “recently widowed” and “newly single homeowners” are categories that can be inferred from publicly available and commercially aggregated data.

How obituary scraping powers targeting

Obituaries are meant to honor loved ones. But they can also unintentionally disclose personal information:

• Full names
• Surviving spouse
• Children and other relatives
• City of residence
• Sometimes even maiden names.

Fraudsters search obituary websites and cross-reference them with people search databases. Within days, they can identify surviving spouses, locate their addresses and find their phone numbers. This is often the starting point for:

• Fake investment pitchare
• Identity theft scams
• Romance is coming
• Fraudulent outreach to “financial advisors”

The scammer’s advantage? They already know what just happened in your life. This makes their message personal and credible.

Romance-investment hybrids are exploding

One of the fastest growing threats today is the so-called “pig butchery” scam – a long-term romantic scheme that turns into an investment pitch.

Public records and data broker profiles can reveal life changes, such as widowhood or divorce, helping criminals identify potential targets. (Félix Zahn/Photothek via Getty Images)

Here’s how it works:

• A scammer makes contact through social media or messaging apps.
• They build trust over weeks or months.
• They introduce a “lucrative investment opportunity”.
• The victim transfers funds to what appears to be a legitimate platform.
• The money disappears.

Widows and divorced women are disproportionately targeted because fraudsters assume:

• Life insurance products or retirement savings may be available.
• The individual manages their finances independently for the first time.
• Emotional vulnerability can make relationship building easier.

These scams can cost victims hundreds of thousands of dollars. And targeting often starts with data broker profiles.

Fake Financial Advisors and Retirement Predators

Another growing tactic is the use of fraudsters posing as:

They may refer to specific details such as:

• The value of your house
• Your approximate age
• Your city or neighborhood
• Your marital status.

Because the information is correct, the awareness appears legitimate. Some even create fake websites, LinkedIn profiles, and credentials to boost their credibility. Women who manage their retirement assets alone, particularly after the death of their partner, are often offered “exclusive” investment opportunities or urgent financial warnings. These predators depend on one thing: access to detailed personal information.

Why data exposure increases risk

The more publicly available your information is, the easier it becomes for scammers to create convincing stories.

Data broker profiles may include:

• Personal addresses
• Phone numbers
• Names of relatives
• Ownership history
• Estimated income bracket.

When scammers combine this information with obituary data or court records, they can infer changes in their lives. They don’t need illegal hacking. They just need searchable data. Reducing this exposure significantly reduces the likelihood of becoming a target.

How to reduce your risk

International Women’s Day is about empowerment, and financial independence is a vital part of it. Protecting yourself means:

• Be careful with unsolicited investment offers
• Verify credentials independently
• Never transfer funds based on online relationships only
• Limit the ease with which your personal information can be found.

One of the most effective proactive measures is to remove your personal data from people search sites and other data brokers.

There are hundreds of these sites, each with their own opt-out process, and many relist your data later. However, by reducing the amount of your personal information that appears online, it can make it much more difficult for scammers to create convincing profiles about you.

WHY JANUARY IS THE BEST TIME TO DELETE PERSONAL DATA ONLINE

Start by searching your name on major people search websites and reviewing the information that appears publicly. If you find personal information listed, most sites provide instructions for requesting deletion.

Although no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the Internet, a data deletion service is definitely a wise choice. They’re not cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically deleting your personal information across hundreds of websites. This is what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the Internet.

By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of fraudsters cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

Limiting the ease with which your personal information can be found online can reduce the chances of scammers targeting you. (Uchar/Getty Images)

MAKE 2026 YOUR MOST PRIVATE YEAR YET BY DELETING BROKER DATA

Check out my top picks for data deletion services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already available on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com

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Kurt’s Key Takeaways

International Women’s Day celebrates strength, independence and resilience. However, empowerment also means understanding how fraudsters operate in the real world. Criminals don’t rely on luck. Instead, they rely on data. Obituaries, property records and data broker profiles can quietly reveal life changes that make a person appear financially stable but emotionally vulnerable. Fortunately, awareness can change the equation. For example, you can independently verify financial advisors, question unsolicited investment offers, and limit the ease with which people can find your personal information online. As a result, these steps can significantly reduce your risk. Ultimately, protecting your financial future is part of protecting your independence. This goal is at the heart of International Women’s Day.

Have you ever been contacted by someone online offering investment advice or a financial opportunity that seemed suspicious? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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