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The Hulu docuseries Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam examines the disturbing real-world events behind a coordinated online romance scam. The case impacted three women: Annette, Roxy, and Gaby.
As per ABC News Studios' press release dated May 15, 2025, the three-part series follows how each woman was independently lured into a relationship with the same man. They later discovered that he was using multiple identities to defraud them emotionally and financially.
The scammer posed as “Scott Donald Hall,” “James Richards,” and “Michael Silver,” asking for money under false pretenses such as medical emergencies and fabricated business issues.
Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam highlights how technology, deepfakes, and emotional manipulation are becoming increasingly central to modern online fraud.
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“Anonymous scammers are lurking to take advantage,” said head of ABC News Studios Mike Kelley on Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam
The Hulu docuseries Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam spotlights a real-life case about a fraudster.
ABC News Studio's head, Mike Kelly, noted that online dating platforms have made it easier than ever to form connections, but they’ve also opened the door for fraud.
Kelley stated:
“As more people seek out connection and companionship online, anonymous scammers are lurking to take advantage”
According to a report by McAfee, published on April 25, 2025, online scams led to an unprecedented $16.6 billion in losses in 2024. With AI and deepfake technology on the rise, scammers now operate with greater sophistication.
Ethan Goldman, founder and CEO of Anchor Entertainment, stated in the ABC press release:
“With the rapid rise of AI and deepfake technology, these scammers are using increasingly sophisticated tactics to mask their identities. These brave women’s stories spotlight how anyone can be drawn into a scam that looks and feels all too real.”
A web of deception involving multiple identities
The scammer used names like Scott Donald Hall, James Richards, and Michael Silver. He sent romantic messages, flattered his victims, and later created crises, such as claiming to need surgery or covering urgent expenses, to request large sums of money. As shown in the trailer, some victims lost their life savings in the process.
One woman recounted wiring over $30,000, while another said in the trailer of Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam,
“I gave him my Social Security.”
The docuseries, produced by Anchor Entertainment in collaboration with Trinoculus Films, highlights how these interactions shifted from romance to financial entanglement.
One victim stated in the trailer:
“I was angry. I didn’t know who he was, but I wanted to track him down.”
The press release also confirms that the scam had serious emotional consequences and raised safety concerns. When the victims began investigating, they discovered the man had hidden layers and was not who he claimed to be. Their attempt to confront him escalated into a high-risk effort, with ABC noting that escaping the scam could become a matter of life and death.
More about Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam
Hulu’s logline for the Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam notes:
“Women from around the world fall in love with the same handsome man, but their online boyfriend is not who he seems, and it could cost them everything.”
In Episode 1 of Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam, titled The Face of Trouble, Roxy, Annette, and Gaby each start an online romance with the same seemingly ideal man.
Episode 2 of Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam: Male Fraud follows the women as they begin to compare their experiences and realize they’ve been manipulated by the same scammer.
In Episode 3, titled In the Flesh, the trio finally meets in person and joins forces to expose the scam.
Stay tuned for more updates.
