A year-long CBS News investigation finds that in the hearts, minds and wallets of Americans across the country, romance scams are taking a serious – and sometimes lethal – toll. CBS News and Stations kicks off a multi-part investigation, ANYTHING FOR LOVE: INSIDE THE ROMANCE SCAM EPIDEMIC, beginning on Sunday, April 21 through Sunday, April 28 across CBS News programs and CBS-owned stations.

CBS News’ chief investigative correspondent Jim Axelrod leads the investigation, speaking with a daughter whose mother was ensnared in a romance scam that cost her more than her life savings – it cost her life. The investigation follows the daughter, Kelly Gowe, and her crusade to remove the stigma victims face, promote change and save lives. Axelrod follows Gowe on her mission and widens the lens to uncover the troubling trends within the online dating industry, how law enforcement is tackling this threat, and what Match Group, the largest online dating company, has to say about the crisis.

CBS News and Stations reporters collaborate to get to the heart of the national crisis, speaking with victims, families, dating app executives and government officials across seven states: California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Texas. Together, they unveil the scale of this billion-dollar crime wave.

ANYTHING FOR LOVE will appear on the CBS Television Network and CBS News Streaming Network through the week of April 21, including:

• CBS NEWS SUNDAY MORNING: ANYTHING FOR LOVE debuts in an 11-minute segment on Sunday, April 21 (9:00-10:30 AM, ET). CBS News’ Jim Axelrod offers an in-depth look at the national crisis, including an interview with a former scammer from Ghana, where many of the scams originate.

• CBS EVENING NEWS WITH NORAH O’DONNELL: Starting on Monday, April 22 the broadcast (6:30-7:00 PM, ET) will air multiple ANYTHING FOR LOVE segments, detailing one woman’s personal crusade to enact change, how some victims become accomplices and the growing challenge facing the online dating industry.

• CBS MORNINGS: ANYTHING FOR LOVE continues on Tuesday, April 23 and Wednesday, April 24 (7:00-9:00 AM, ET), with a deeper dive into one victim’s case and an eye-opening investigation into the efforts to protect consumers.

• CBS STATIONS: CBS Stations journalists investigate the prevalence of romance scams in your neighborhood. CBS Baltimore’s Jessica Albert sits down with a local U.S. attorney to discuss the difficulty of prosecuting cases. CBS Chicago’s Lauren Victory explores how AI and other technologies are helping scammers. CBS Colorado’s Brian Maass interviews a woman who believes she’s dating a celebrity. CBS New York’s Tim McNicholas gets perspective from the Manhattan district attorney’s office. CBS Philadelphia’s Liz Crawford worked in conjunction with CBS Sacramento to interview a victim who describes the months-long manipulation they faced. CBS Philadelphia also has tips from an advocate about how to talk to a loved one you suspect is caught up in a romance scam. CBS Sacramento’s Kurtis Ming profiles multiple scam victims and local law enforcement. CBS Texas’ Brian New interviews a romance scam victim in the Dallas area who contemplated suicide because of the heavy emotional impact.

• CBS NEWS STREAMING: ANYTHING FOR LOVE will conclude on Sunday, April 28 (9:00-9:30 PM, ET), with a CBS REPORTS documentary that follows the entire CBS News and Stations investigation. Additional segments from the series may appear on CBS Streaming through the week of April 21.

ANYTHING FOR LOVE: INSIDE THE ROMANCE SCAM EPIDEMIC will also appear across CBSNews.com, with in-depth reports and takeaways for audiences, including safety tips. CBS News’ social team will produce explainers and creative visualizations, incorporating journalists from across CBS News and Stations, to help viewers see the scale of romance scams in their community.

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Press Contacts:

Isabel Pellegrino, CBS News Communications

Isabel.Pellegrino@paramount.com

Hugo Rojo, CBS News Communications

RojoH@cbsnews.com