The Westlake Police Department is raising awareness about a recent scam involving a local woman who lost nearly $122,000 to an individual posing as the renowned former Journey vocalist, Steve Perry.
According to WKYC, in late June, a 75-year-old resident approached the police station, recounting how she had been deceived by a scammer. The incident began in January when she responded to a Facebook message from someone pretending to be Perry.
Westlake police revealed, “The fake Mr. Perry had a business opportunity for investment and of course ‘needed a woman in his life.'”
Over the subsequent months, the woman transferred “thousands of dollars” to the impersonator, maintaining communication via text messaging and WhatsApp. Detailed police reports indicate the woman wired $72,000 to various recipients across different states as instructed by the scammer. Additionally, she spent approximately $50,000 on gift cards following the scammer’s prompts.
The scam became evident to the victim when the impersonator’s demands escalated, including requests for photos of passports and driver’s licenses. The police advised her to notify her bank and file a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov.
Currently, investigators are pursuing electronic leads related to the case. The Westlake Police Department hopes this incident will serve as a cautionary tale, encouraging residents to be vigilant and not let scammers exploit their trust.