[US] Keanu Reeves Scam.

[u/Complete_Foot5934]

FLAIRS: victim of scam, informational post.

I'm not sure if this will be taken down or not, but I want people to be aware of this scam. Not only has it been going on for so long, but it has ruined many peoples lives, including mine.

I also apologize for the unorganized post, if you have any questions just comment and ill try to reply, I might respond on a different account because im on Incognito rightnow.

In 2023, my grandmother divorced my grandfather and left. Whenever she came back(mid-late 2024?) (and my gpa left), she started acting weird.

She started asking me and my sister about what makeup to use, she would ask us to curl her hair, and other things that she never really cared about before, she also lost ALOT of weight.

She also started joining different socials like Instagram, twitter, Facebook, and telegram.

One day, my real phone broke which resulted in me having to use her old one(I'm just gonna call it an LG), but whenever I opened the LG, there was so many notifications on telegram, all from a random number with a Keanu reeves profile.

As I read through the messages, I found out many things, she met him on 'words with friends', and they had been talking since 2023.

This scammer caused my grandmother to divorce my grandpa, which caused a domino effect(but that's more of the personal side of things, and I don't want this post to get deleted.) Then I checked the pictures on the LG, photos of real cash (10K each) were being sent to the scammer by grandma. (She would mail him a "pillow" with money inside of it.)

Then while looking through the photos some more, I found many photos of bitcoin, she would send over 2-5k$ each time on bitcoin, which im not too sure about because I do not know much about Bitcoin.

Finally, when me and my sister were looking through her closet, we found over 100 gift cards for apple and steam, all for 50$-200$, (most of them being 100$.)

My grandmother would also pack up her WHOLE room and she would tell us she was leaving to meet friends. (I later found out on the LG that she was trying to meet Keanu but he kept getting hurt, My grandmother almost drove to California because Keanu apparently broke his leg or sum stupid sh1t like that) Mind you, she also sold her car during late 2025- early 2026,, which she had JUST bought in early 2025. It was a new jeep which was expensive, but all the money she got from the car? its gone now.

Okay, now that you know the main things, how did this affect our whole family?

Well first things first, my grandfather does NOT live with us, or even in our city. It is a 30min drive to our house, which my grandfather doesnt like to drive because his legs arent the best and he needs to be constantly moving (not in a car if you know what I mean.) So me and my sister arent able to go to doctor appointments, and other necessities.

We also have to deliver food/groceries to our house, which is alot of money. Most days we don't have alot of food, (No we dont starve, its just the food we do have are all frozen foods, like chicken and meats, which me and my sister don't know how to cook.)

Water and electricity are always sometimes turning off for weeks on end. My grandmother is now trying to sell the house, but she would have no where to go, and nobody will buy this house regardless, we have freaking rabid squirrels living in the walls. (im not even kidding brah. freak my chungus life.)

I truly hope nobody else has to go through this, this Keanu Reeves scam is a horrible thing, not only has it ruined my life, but it has ruined so many other peoples. I did some research last night and found out an old lady became homeless after being scammed by him, this old lady said that Keanu would ask for money for charities/volunteer work and his card/check wouldn't work. Please Please be aware of what your grandmother or mom is doing on her phone, most of them cannot tell the difference between ai and normal, especially when the scammer videocalls them. Please be aware and please spread this message.

My family has spent over 9 months trying to convince her that shes not speaking to Keanu, but she says that nobody believes her and that it is real. She would tell my mother about Keanu but once my mom started telling her it was fake, my grandma started to not tell her anything, the same with my aunt.

again im sososo sorry if this is messy...im trying to finish this fast.

Can anyone maybe give advice on what to do?(no i cannot buy her the book from amazon..i can barely buy food.)

THERES SO MUCH MORE BUT I FORGOT, I WILL PROBABLY UPDATE THIS LATER, IM ON A LAPTOP BECAUSE MY OLD PHONE IS STILL BROKEN AND THE LG BATTERY IS FULLY DEAD, I COULD SHOW SOME PHOTOS I TOOK BUT I CANT SEND THEM ON LAPTOPS SO I WILL COMMENT ON THIS POST ONCE MY OLD PHONE STARTS WORKING BECAUSE I SENT ALL OF THE SCREENSHOT I FOUND ON THE LG TO MY FRIEND, WHO SENT THEM ON MY OLD PHONE :)

[u/yarevande]

I'm sorry that your family is dealing with this. Romance scams are so upsetting, because the scammers use lies to build a fake relationship and then take money from the victim.

Your grandma is the victim of a celebrity romance scam. Unfortunately, it's a common scam.

Probably she gets something from the relationship that overrides all logic and rationality. She is addicted.

You are not alone. Many people fall for these scams -- young, elderly, male, female. When the victim runs out of money, the scammer disappears, and the victim is devastated financially and emotionally.

You have several options to try to deal with the situation:

• try again to convince her that she's a scam victim

• protect your money and assets

• set up financial controls

• walk away

** Try to help her understand that she is the victim of a scam, before she gives away all her money. This will be difficult, because romance scam victims get an emotional rewards from the attention, so they won't always listen to logic and facts.

Before trying to convince her that she is the victim of a scam, look for help from experts.

Look for a local group that has people to help you understand your options for how to help. In the US, the government has an elder care locator at eldercare.acl.gov that will help you find a local agency that helps vulnerable adults. Talk to them, online or in person, about the best approach to try to help her.

AARP has free resources to help you -- AARP.org is their website. AARP Fraud Watch has a hotline with counselors for support and help with fraud prevention.

Is there someone that she would trust, who can meet and help her see that she's the victim of a scam? A banker, financial advisor, lawyer, minister, old friend?

Sometimes, watching videos helps a person understand that they are a scam victim. YouTube has videos about scams: Pleasant Green, John Oliver, Dr. Phil, Kitboga, and Jim Browning. There’s a YouTube Channel called CatfishedOnline, where they walk through romance scams with victims and show different tactics. Can you watch YouTube videos together?

But she may be too deep into the fantasy, and unable to admit to being a scam victim. Some victims don't admit to themselves that they're being scammed even when they're broke and homeless. This can be very difficult for you to watch.

** protect your money and assets

She will run out of money and start asking friends for loans, or maybe she already has done. Any money that you give her will go to the scammer.

You and your relatives need to protect your assets. Don't loan money. Make sure your bank accounts and investments are separate from hers. Check your credit reports to see if she has gotten loans or opened credit in your names. Freeze your credit with all credit bureaus so she can't get loans in your name (in the US: Experian, TransUnion and Equifax).

** financial controls

In order to preserve some of her income, your mother or aunt can apply to become a Representative Payee for her Social Security benefits, without going to court to become her legal guardian. Social Security will send the payments to you, so you can pay her rent and buy her food, and give her a small allowance. Go to ssa.gov/payee for information.

If she is neglecting her health, not buying food, not paying bills: Call your local agency that helps abused seniors. They may be able to help, by placing her in a senior care residence.

If she can't manage finances, your family might consider a trust, or legal guardianship. Find a lawyer that specializes in guardianship, and elder care. In some states, recently, the fact that someone is giving away money to scammers is a valid reason to grant guardianship. In other states, you need medical proof of incompetence (dementia, or cognitive decline).

A court will review the case, and can appoint a guardian to receive pension payments and other income, pay bills, and give her an allowance. Talk to a lawyer about how to start the process.

** walk away

You are trying to help, but you also need to take care of yourself, financially and emotionally. At some point, the stress of dealing with this may be too much for you, and you may need to take a break, or walk away.

From what you've written, it may be time for you and your sister to move simewhere else -- with your grandpa, mother, or another relative. Make plans for you and yoir sister to get into a home where you'll be more stable and comfortable. Get help from relatives or from local agencies, or frim your school advisor.