WESTLAKE, Ohio — The Westlake Police Department is sharing a cautionary story about a woman being scammed out of around $122,000 by someone claiming to be legendary former Journey singer Steve Perry.
According to Westlake police, a resident stopped by the station late last month to report being the victim of a scam. The 75-year-old woman told officers that she responded to a message on Facebook in January from someone claiming to be Perry.
"The fake Mr. Perry had a business opportunity for investment and of course 'needed a woman in his life'” Westlake police explained.
Over the next several months, police say the Westlake woman sent "thousands of dollars" to the Perry impersonator who continued correspondence through text messaging and WhatsApp.
A closer look at the Westlake Police Department's report on the case revealed that the woman apparently gave the scammer $72,000 via wire transfers to "various persons in various different states, designated by 'Perry,' through her bank." She also purchased approximately $50,000 in gift cards after being prompted by "Perry."
The victim realized she was being defrauded when the scammer "became more demanding," including wanting pictures of passports and driver's licenses. Police told the victim to report the scam to her bank as well as IC3.gov, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
In the meantime, investigators are following up with available electronic leads.
Hopefully, this story will help residents to "stop believing" in scammers and not allow them into their lives with "open arms."
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