At 75 years old, B.C. resident Sharon Blakeborough suffered a heart attack. It was not just a sudden medical emergency. It was the physical breaking point of a year-long deception.
A sophisticated romance scam left her with severe emotional trauma and $60,000 in financial losses.
Blakeborough separated from her husband in 2022. Soon after, a man approached her on Facebook.
“I started to believe in him because I was vulnerable, because I was lonely. Yes, I was very lonely,” she said.
He used the name “David Thompson.”
He presented himself as a military doctor who had served in Syria. He showered her with affection and promised to build her a house on her reserve in Chowéthel (Chawathil).
The casual conversation quickly became a calculated campaign of manipulation.
Over 12 months, the imposter fabricated endless emergencies. He frequently used a fictitious 10-year-old son to gain sympathy. He even claimed the boy was hit by a car and needed hospital bills paid. He continuously demanded payments, a process Blakeborough now recognizes for exactly what it was.
“This is the man who stole money off me,” she said. “He bullied me into sending money. I begged. I borrowed money. I even got a loan for $5,000.”
At one point, she was sending 75 per cent of her $2,500 monthly pension to him. She struggled to afford groceries. She watched her bills pile up in secret.
“I had nothing to live on. It was horrible. I had a heart attack after because I couldn't, the stress was so bad.”
For victims, financial exploitation can be deeply tied to psychological abuse. Looking back on the deception, Blakeborough recognizes the full scope of what she endured.
“Spiritual, emotional, mental abuse for sure,” she said.
Scammers use isolation and guilt to control their targets. When Blakeborough's daughter warned her that the relationship was a scam, Blakeborough's deep embarrassment led her to deny it.
“I kept it quiet,” she recalled. “Then she kept asking, ‘did you send him money?’ No. I said ‘Of course I didn't.’ But I did. I lied to her. I had to lie.’”
The psychological grip of the scam ultimately shattered her self-esteem. Blakeborough described the profound mental toll of realizing the deception.
“I had to go through learning how to love myself again,” she said. “The feeling of being stupid. Being so frustrated and everything. I had to get over all of that. Because of the shame and the denial... they [victims] believe it's their own damn fault, but it is not their fault.
“It's the man at the other end or the woman at the other end scamming them.”
Blakeborough's experience highlights a significant national issue.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day takes place on June 15. The day highlights the broad spectrum of harms seniors face.
According to HealthLink Canada, financial abuse is the most reported type of abuse experienced in later life, accounting for over half of reported elder abuse situations.
The broader financial impact is severe. In 2024, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre reported that the total amount lost by seniors made up nearly 28 per cent of the $643.7 million reported stolen nationwide. Cyber-enabled fraud drives this epidemic. It accounts for 75 per cent of the total dollar loss.
Despite these staggering numbers, Blakeborough noted a severe lack of systemic support for victims left to navigate the aftermath without adequate resources.
She urged authorities like the RCMP and government social services to step up with dedicated elder abuse programs and awareness campaigns.
Beyond that, Blakeborough is using her story to directly warn others. She urges seniors to be highly skeptical of unsolicited online messages.
She also stressed that preventing elder abuse requires active family involvement. She pointed out that loneliness makes seniors an easy target for predators.
“Socialization is a part of what the elders need,” she explained.
She urged people to check in on their aging relatives.
“If their families don't look after them, come to tell them they love them, then they're vulnerable.”
Today, Blakeborough has managed to whittle her debt down to about $10,000. She is still fighting to recover financially and emotionally. She hopes to dismantle the stigma that keeps victims quiet and unprotected.
“I used to be so ashamed of myself, but now I'm not. I’m fighting elder abuse,” she said. “Everyone is vulnerable to predators... I want the world to know.”
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