A case involving a fake online relationship with Shemar Moore has ended with a full acquittal.
Dana Kiner, a Cincinnati woman who believed she was romantically involved with the Criminal Minds and The Young and the Restless star, was cleared of five criminal charges this week, according to WLWT.
Prosecutors alleged she stole thousands of dollars through bounced checks and fraudulent transactions—actions she said she carried out at the direction of a scammer posing as Moore.
According to testimony, the person communicating with Kiner used detailed personal information about the actor to convince her that the digital relationship was real.
Over time, she was urged to withdraw cash, deposit checks that later failed, and purchase gift cards. The transactions totaled roughly $7,000.
“He was my man. I loved him,” Kiner said outside the courthouse, explaining how the scammer’s promises—including marriage—convinced her she was in a legitimate relationship.
Experts say these kinds of cases are increasingly common. Romance scams—where criminals build emotional connections to obtain access to a victim’s money—continues to rise nationwide.
The Federal Trade Commission reported that consumers lost $1.14 billion to romance scams in 2023, with a median personal loss of $2,000. Data from Javelin Strategy & Research indicates that nearly three-quarters of survey respondents were men, and that most scams begin on social media platforms where there’s no face-to-face communication.
Theresa Payton, CEO of cybersecurity firm Fortalice Solutions, has told CNBC that emotional pressure—such as sudden affection, urgent financial requests, or isolation from friends and family—is often used to keep victims engaged.
The jury in Kiner’s case was tasked with determining whether she knowingly participated in theft or had been manipulated into the transactions. After deliberating, they found her not guilty on all five counts of theft and fraud. Jurors accepted her explanation that she believed she was helping the actor she thought she was dating, not aiding a criminal scheme.
Kiner acknowledged she still owes her bank several thousand dollars for the bounced checks, but said she hopes her story raises awareness.
“I just fell in love with somebody I thought was Shemar Moore,” she said. “It turns out it wasn’t, but I fell hard.”