Washington Man Pleads Guilty to $333,000 Romance Scam Built on Two Invented Women

Published Nov. 4, 2026. Case status is current as of that date.

Romance scams are often pictured as overseas operations run from scam compounds. In this one, federal prosecutors say, a man in Vancouver, Washington, invented two women and used their stories of hardship and danger to take more than $333,000 from a Portland resident over almost four years, much of it retirement savings.

On Nov. 3, 2026, U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford of the District of Oregon announced that Rithy Ham, 45, of Vancouver, Washington, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering for a scheme that took $333,249.52 from the victim, "much of it from the victim's retirement savings" [1].

Ham has pleaded guilty but has not yet been sentenced.

How the scheme worked, according to court documents

The details below come from the U.S. Attorney's Office announcement, which summarizes court documents [1].

1. Two invented women. Between September 2020 and May 2024, Ham "created fictitious personas of two women and used them to deceive an adult victim," prosecutors said.
2. Stories built to trigger sympathy. Ham falsely told the victim the women needed money for living expenses, nursing school tuition, and to escape prostitution and sex trafficking. "Believing the women were real and in danger, the victim sent money on multiple occasions," the release says.
3. Playing several roles at once. Ham talked to the victim both directly and through the made-up identities "to maintain the deception." In other words, prosecutors say, he played both himself and the women he claimed were in trouble.
4. The emergency. In November 2022, prosecutors say, Ham falsely claimed one of the women urgently needed money to escape sex trafficking. The victim transferred $36,872.35. Ham later used part of that money to write an $18,500 check to his wife.
5. Retirement money. In March 2023, more false claims led the victim to move $20,922 out of a retirement account. That money was deposited into accounts controlled by Ham and his wife.

The release does not say how the victim first came into contact with Ham or the invented women, and it does not accuse Ham's wife of any crime.

The defendant and case status

Rithy Ham, 45, of Vancouver, Washington, pleaded guilty in federal court in Oregon to wire fraud and money laundering. Under the plea agreement, the U.S. Attorney's Office says, he "acknowledged the factual basis of the charges and agreed to pay full restitution." The office says he also agreed to a forfeiture money judgment of $333,249.52 [1].

Wire fraud carries a maximum of 20 years in federal prison and money laundering a maximum of 10 years. Both charges also carry possible fines, up to three years of supervised release, and mandatory fee assessments. The release does not give a sentencing date or the court case number; we list both as status pending [1].

The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Bateman is prosecuting it [1].

Why the "rescue" story works

This case did not use a fake soldier, a fake oil-rig engineer, or a crypto "investment" pitch. It used something harder to say no to: a person in danger. A plea for help escaping trafficking puts the target in the role of rescuer, and the urgency makes it feel cruel to stop and check.

That is why a request for money from someone you know only through messages deserves a pause, however urgent or sympathetic the reason sounds.

Red flags

These are general warning signs, not claims about any specific person in this case.

• Someone you have never met in person keeps having emergencies that only your money can fix.
• The requests escalate: rent, then tuition, then a crisis that needs money now.
• A third person (a friend, a cousin, a "handler") vouches for the person asking for money, or passes along messages for them.
• You are asked to dip into retirement savings or take money out of long-term accounts.
• Stories of danger, such as trafficking, debt to criminals, or threats, that make it feel wrong to slow down or ask questions.
• Money is to be sent to accounts in a name other than the person you think you are helping.

If you are being targeted

• Stop sending money. No real emergency is solved by money from a stranger you only know online.
• Talk to someone you trust before sending anything. Scammers rely on secrecy.
• If you believe someone is truly in danger, contact law enforcement directly instead of sending money.
• Call your bank or retirement plan administrator right away if you have sent money; they may be able to stop or reverse transfers.
• Report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov and to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Case status

Defendant	Court	Status as of Nov. 4, 2026	Source
Rithy Ham, 45, Vancouver, Wash.	U.S. District Court, District of Oregon (case number not stated in release)	Pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering (announced Nov. 3, 2026); agreed to full restitution and a $333,249.52 forfeiture money judgment; sentencing date status pending	[1]

Statuses can change. Ham has pleaded guilty but has not been sentenced.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Oregon, "Washington Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Money Laundering After Defrauding Victim of More Than $330,000 in Romance Scam," Nov. 3, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/usao-or/pr/washington-man-pleads-guilty-wire-fraud-and-money-laundering-after-defrauding-victim

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Corrections and updates: If you are named in this article, or represent someone who is, and believe anything here is inaccurate or out of date (including a dismissal, acquittal, or change in case status), please contact us at editorandchief@scammers.com. We will review it and update the article promptly.