Man accused of conning woman out of nearly $300K in alleged Bumble romance scam
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- What began as an online romance between a couple, with dreams of buying a home together in Brooklyn, ended in betrayal.
After meeting on the app Bumble, dating and living together in her apartment, a woman thought she and 45-year-old Brandon Kiehm were buying a home together in Brooklyn.
Instead, she fell victim to a romance scam and Kiehm was charged on Thursday with stealing nearly $300,000 from her.
Kiehm, 45, is charged with grand larceny.
"A woman thought she was buying a home with her boyfriend, when, allegedly, he stole approximately $272,000 of her hard-earned money. We allege that Brandon Kiehm crafted a relationship on a web of lies, preying on his girlfriend's trust again and again," said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Kiehm met the alleged victim, a 44-year-old woman, in 2019 on Bumble. He introduced himself as Dae Up Lee Kim and told her that he was a finance professional who had graduated from Stanford. They began what she thought was a serious romantic relationship and lived together in the woman's apartment until 2021, court records said.
In early 2020, Kiehm convinced her to purchase a home on Decatur Street in Brooklyn that was being sold at an auction. She was traveling for work and unable to attend herself.
Kiehm allegedly told her he had attended the auction, that they were the second-highest bidders, and that to maintain that second-place spot, they needed to send a cashier's check to the trustee of the property. She sent a cashier's check for $78,250 to someone she understood to be the broker.
Two weeks later, Kiehm allegedly told her that the bid from the highest bidder had fallen through and instructed her to send additional funds to the same purported broker. She complied and sent two wire transfers in the amounts of $86,750 and $107,000.
According to the Manhattan district attorney's office, Kiehm did not actually attend the auction or bid on the property. The individual who received the money was a friend of his and the funds were quickly withdrawn as cash.
The woman subsequently discovered an identification card in the name of Brandon Kiehm, a name she did not recognize, and then found additional identification cards and mail addressed to that same name. The woman contacted the broker of the Decatur Street property, who informed her that Kiehm had never placed a bid.
"She found an identification card with her name on it. She didn't recognize and learned, that was his true name and identity. She then learned that the defendant never even bid on the property," Bragg said.
Bragg says the Manhattan D.A.'s office has previously prosecuted Kiehm. Back in 2016, Kiehm pled guilty to grand larceny and identity theft for another romance scam, stealing $26,000 from two women he met on a dating app. He also stole $13,000 from his dog walker after lying to them that a family member had cancer.
"It was prior to my term. He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment. And the fact that now, as we allege, he's doing it again is profoundly disturbing," Bragg said.
Because the theft was more than $50,000, Kiehm has been indicted for second degree grand larceny. He was arraigned Thursday morning and walked out of court on supervised release.
The investigation is ongoing and Bragg asked anyone who thinks they may be a victim to contact his office.
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