Romance scams are still hitting Canadians hard—778 people have already lost over $54 million this year, according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. And one Toronto guy, Hugo Sanchez, knows the pain all too well.

After his marriage ended, Hugo was feeling low and looking for some connection online. That’s when he met “Lina,” a woman who claimed to live in Seattle. They texted, had a few video calls, and things seemed normal… until she started talking crypto investments. She promised he could triple his money, and Hugo, trusting her, went for it. The result? $80,000 gone.

“I felt devastated,” Hugo says. “It was my savings and money I didn’t even have.” While older folks are usually the main targets, Hugo’s story proves that anyone feeling vulnerable can get caught up.

Groups like the Canadian Association of Retired Persons are calling for tougher penalties and better fraud prevention at banks and telecoms. As their president Anthony Quinn puts it: “Banks need to play a bigger role in protecting their clients.”

Hugo wants people to learn from his experience: “I thought, ‘this might be real,’ but in the end, everything was fake.”

So, if you’re swiping, chatting, or investing online, remember: trust your gut—and maybe don’t fall for promises that sound too good to be true.