Story perspectives

82-Year-Old Sportswriter Loses $271K in Pig-Butchering Scam

4/13/2026

Summary

Story summary

Al Levine, an 82-year-old former sportswriter, lost nearly $271,000 to a pig-butchering scam after a scammer posed as Daisy Miller.
The scam began with a friendly text message and progressed to a fake online relationship that led Levine to invest in gold futures through the fraudulent platform SunX.
Despite warnings from his daughters, Levine withdrew his entire savings and took out a loan.
Levine was hit with bogus tax fees when attempting to withdraw funds.
Investigators say the money is unlikely to be recovered because it has been funneled overseas.

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Story summary

Al Levine, an 82-year-old former sportswriter, lost nearly $271,000 to a pig-butchering scam after a scammer posed as Daisy Miller.
The scam began with a friendly text message and progressed to a fake online relationship that led Levine to invest in gold futures through the fraudulent platform SunX.
Despite warnings from his daughters, Levine withdrew his entire savings and took out a loan.
Levine was hit with bogus tax fees when attempting to withdraw funds.
Investigators say the money is unlikely to be recovered because it has been funneled overseas.