Romance Scam Story

My mom (65F) was the victim of an online romance scam about two years ago, and I’m worried she may be getting pulled into something similar again. For context, I’m (26F), and some of the original situation came to me through my dad (they are still married). At the time, my mom was constantly on her phone, getting calls and messages at all hours. Eventually, the police actually came to our house and told my dad she had been scammed out of thousands of dollars. When I asked her about it, she said she was “just lonely,” but she also seemed convinced the person was real. After that, she became very secretive—changed her phone password and wouldn’t let anyone see what she was doing. Around that same time, when she was visiting me, she asked me to take her to buy gift cards (Apple gift cards specifically) to “help a coworker get out of a domestic violence situation.” I now know that was not the case, and I strongly believe that request was actually part of the same romance scam. I told her at the time that it sounded like a scam, but she dismissed it. Now, two years later, I’m seeing similar behavior again: * She’s very secretive with her phone * She’s frequently on it and protective of it * I’ve noticed what look like suspicious messaging apps (from brief glimpses) * Her overall behavior feels very similar to before When I’ve tried to bring it up, she gets defensive or deflects. For example, when I asked why she’s so secretive with her phone, she said, “You and your dad wouldn’t want me going through your phones.” I even offered to unlock my phone and trade with her, but she avoided it. I’m especially concerned because this seems like a repeated pattern, not a one-time incident. She’s also not in a financial position to lose money like this again, so I’m trying to intervene early. I think loneliness may be a factor, which makes this harder to approach. I’m really worried she’s being manipulated again, but I don’t know how to approach this without damaging our relationship or causing her to shut down completely. What are the most effective ways to intervene in a situation like this, especially if she won’t admit anything is wrong?