An Ohio woman was scammed out of $122,000 by an online imposter claiming to be former Journey frontman Steve Perry.
According to local police know us According to a news outlet, the fake Perry contacted the woman via Facebook Messenger in January and the two corresponded for several months via WhatsApp messages. Claiming that he had a “business opportunity” and that he “needed a woman in his life,” the scammer soon got the woman to start sending him money.
By the time she realized what was happening, $122,000 was gone — $50,000 in gift cards and $72,000 in wire transfers to “several individuals in several different states, designated by ‘Perry,’ through his bank,” according to the police report.
The final turning point for the woman came when the fake Perry started to become more demanding, asking for photos of her passport and driver's license. At that point, she contacted the police, who advised her to report the scam to her bank and file a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Sadly, this is just the latest example of an ongoing trend of online scams. Last October, there was a story about a scammer posing as Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, who scammed a woman out of $11,000. The issue has even made it to Hollywood, via the new movie Thelmawhich follows a grandmother (June Squibb) as she attempts to exact revenge on some John Wick-style con artists.
As for the real Steve Perry, he’s kept a relatively low profile in recent years. Last May, he teamed up with The Effect for their cover of Journey’s “It Could Have Been You,” and last year he collaborated on Dolly Parton’s blockbuster hit. Rock star album.
His former band, Journey, kicked off their tour with Def Leppard in St. Louis, Missouri, last weekend. Buy tickets for upcoming dates here.
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