A 92-year-old Tampa Bay man has lost over $800,000 in an elaborate romance and bank scam allegedly orchestrated by a repeat offender now behind bars. Law enforcement officials are warning that others could also be at risk. Otiz Swinton Jr., 37, was arrested in Orlando and charged again with multiple counts of fraud. Investigators with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office say he targeted the elderly man online, pretending to be a woman in a romantic relationship, then gradually gained access to his financial accounts. "A 92-year-old elderly man was targeted, manipulated, and robbed of his life savings by a career criminal who really used technology and deceit to take everything from this man," said Amanda Granit, spokesperson for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Authorities say the scam began with online chats and later phone texts that appeared to be part of a budding romance. Swinton, pretending to be a woman, convinced the victim to transfer funds from his investment account to one the suspect controlled. "Posing as a woman, and then it turned into a bank scam where he convinced this elderly gentleman to transfer funds from his investment account to a bank account that the scammer had access to," Granit said. Officials estimate that more than $800,000 was drained from the victim's accounts through various fraudulent means, including forged checks, unauthorized use of ATM and credit cards, cryptocurrency transactions and identity theft. Investigators traced the earliest activity in the case back to June 2022. MORE: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/romance-scheme-bank-scam-tampa/67-9f522f08-8343-458f-bbf1-1bc0e24d6544