Sorry to hear that. Makes me angry just reading it, I can't imagine how it makes you feel.
I've mentioned before here wondering if there is a name for this phenomenon, it's similar to sunk cost fallacy, but more emotionally charged. Like, the thought of having been scammed makes you put on blinders and keep going hoping you weren't. It doesn't make a ton of sense to me, but it happens all the time, to people of all ages.
This guy was only 53 and fell for the same traps, rather famously -
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/21/cryptocurrency-shan-hanes-pi...
Perhaps simple denial? If you continue having contact with them after giving them some money but they keep elaborating on how the money helped or satisfied their (scammer's) wishes, the victim may not think they have been scammed. Like "look she's still talking to me every day. We're close. A scammer would have vanished by now"
Oh, I definitely think that's part of it. Nobody wants to be betrayed, or made the fool.