Minnesota Man Convicted in $31,000 Romance Scam Targeting Bradenton Widower

Suspect posed as a British woman named Julia to swindle victim out of thousands.

Apr. 15, 2026 at 9:39pm

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An extreme close-up photograph of a crumpled, empty envelope against a pitch-black background, conceptually representing the aftermath of a financial exploitation scheme.A recent wave of romance scams targeting vulnerable seniors in Bradenton has led to millions in financial losses.Bradenton Today

A 35-year-old Minnesota man named Benjamin Yakaw has been convicted of scamming a Bradenton, Florida widower out of $31,000 in a romance scheme. Yakaw communicated with the victim since 2023, pretending to be a British woman named Julia who needed money to cover expenses to move to America and be with the victim. Detectives tracked the bank account the victim sent the money to and arrested Yakaw, who had also scammed other victims. Yakaw will spend a year in jail and must pay back the $31,000.

Why it matters

Romance scams are one of the top five tactics used against senior citizens, with Bradenton tallying $8 million in losses for elder fraud cases last year. This case highlights the ongoing threat of these types of financial exploitation schemes targeting vulnerable individuals.

The details

According to authorities, Benjamin Yakaw communicated with the Bradenton victim since 2023, pretending to be a British woman named Julia. Yakaw convinced the victim that the fictional Julia would move to America to be with him, but needed $31,000 sent to Minnesota to cover her expenses. Detectives were able to track the bank account the victim sent the money to and arrested Yakaw, who had also scammed other victims in similar romance schemes.

  • Yakaw communicated with the Bradenton victim since 2023, pretending to be Julia.
  • The victim sent $31,000 to Minnesota in 2023 to cover Julia's expenses.

The players

Benjamin Yakaw

A 35-year-old Minnesota man who was convicted of scamming a Bradenton widower out of $31,000 in a romance scheme, posing as a British woman named Julia.

Bradenton Widower

The victim of Yakaw's romance scam, a resident of Bradenton, Florida who was swindled out of $31,000 after being convinced by Yakaw that the fictional Julia needed money to move to America.

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What’s next

Yakaw will spend a year in jail and must pay back the $31,000 he scammed from the Bradenton widower.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing threat of romance scams targeting vulnerable individuals, especially senior citizens, and the importance of raising awareness about these financial exploitation schemes to protect the community.