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A 75-year-old woman claimed she was scammed out of nearly $125,000 by someone posing as Steve Perry, the former lead singer of the rock band Journey, according to reports.
The septuagenarian resident told Westlake, Ohio police on June 27 that she had exchanged Facebook messages with someone claiming to be Perry, starting in January.
The imposter Perry said he had a “business opportunity” and “needed a woman in his life,” according to a police report obtained by WKYC.
Investigators say that the pair continued to talk for months over WhatsApp and the unnamed woman sent “thousands of dollars” to the fake rock star.
The victim sent $72,000 worth of wire transfers to “various personas in various different states” and gave nearly $50,000 in gift cards to the scammer.
When the fake singer “became more demanding,” like asking for photos of her IDs, the woman grew suspicious that she was being defrauded.
That’s when the pair seemingly went their “Separate Ways” — with the victim deciding to go to the police.
Officers told her to file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center and to report the scam to her bank, according to the outlet.
The investigation into the matter is reportedly ongoing.
The Independent has emailed Westlake Police for more information.
