A woman has allegedly scammed a Holocaust survivor out of $2.8 million after meeting him on a dating app.
As reported by CBS News, the US Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York says that 36-year-old Peaches Stergo - also known as Alice - conned an 87-year-old man out of his life savings to buy Rolex watches, a boat, and other lavish items.
Stergo was apprehended on Wednesday (January 25) on one count of wire fraud after she met the unnamed victim on the app six years ago.
"The defendant callously preyed on a senior citizen simply seeking companionship, defrauding him of his life savings," Michael J. Driscoll, the assistant director of the FBI's New York field office said, per a press release.
For years, Stergo allegedly deceived the victim for more money and got her first payment which was $25,000. Ever since then, prosecutors allege, she continued to lie in order to receive monthly cheques of $50,000, per The Mirror.
The indictment stated that Stergo impersonated a bank employee, sent bogus invoices, and created a fake email account to promise the elderly man that he would be compensated.
It was also claimed that she would tell him that if she did not receive money, her bank account would be frozen and that he would never be paid back.
The swindler allegedly used the funds to purchase a home in a gated community, a boat, a condominium, and several cars including a Corvette. In addition to this, prosecutors said she brought gold and silver bars, jewelry, and designer clothing and travel with his money.
Over a period of four years, the victim allegedly wrote 62 checks to the scammer which led to him losing his life savings of $2.8 million and his apartment.
The sham finally came to an end in October 2021 when the victim confided to his son that he had given the suspect his money based on her assurances that he would be reimbursed, according to court documents.
When the son informed his father that he had unfortunately been scammed by the woman, he stopped writing checks to her.
Now, if convicted, Stergo could face as many as 20 years in prison. She is expected to appear in federal court in Florida.
