That’s also what I thought at first when I read about this story. I even thought this might be a scam attempt since he posted a bitcoin address and asked for donations.
But after reading his replies, I found that he shared a copy of the report he filed with IC3 which contains the transaction ID and the scammer’s address. You can also watch this interview on youtube in which he and his wife talk about what happened:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3PZKrCMkxsThey also organized a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe and they managed to raise ~$7k so far.
So, I believe this story is genuine and he did, indeed, get scammed.
Even though what happened is tragic, and I can understand how they must feel, one just can't help but wonder how a person can be in the industry for so long and still behave like a total newbie. I watched the initial few minutes of the interview, he says that he realized that the mobile app is not associated with the desktop app, which means they don't have a mobile wallet, but he came to know abou that after the case, which is so naive for him not to confirm this before importing a wallet containing almost $1m worth of Bitcoin.
Losing money is very bad, but that person lost the best asset of the present time, Bitcoin. It is natural for him to feel bad. Many may call the story a lie, but I will definitely tell the story. I lost a small amount of money a few days ago. I have been worried for the last two months until now, that is why I believe that choosing a wallet is the most important. Where you will store the most valuable Bitcoin of the present time for a long time, this wallet should be strong and sturdy so that security is not lost.