A 70-year-old Philadelphia Phillies fan fell victim to a scam and lost an estimated $50,000 after being deceived by someone posing as Trea Turner.
The elderly baseball enthusiast believed she was engaging in direct communication with the Phillies shortstop on social media, only to later realize she had been interacting with an imposter.
Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, the victim began conversing with the impersonator after defending Turner on social media.
Initially hesitant about the authenticity of the person she was chatting with, the woman eventually received a message from the fake Turner requesting to chat on Google Chat.
The fraudulent exchanges persisted for about three weeks, with the imposter convincing the victim by referencing details about Turner’s life and repeating facts about his baseball career.
As the fake Turner shared personal struggles, including purported marital issues and the need to protect certain assets from his wife, he began soliciting large sums of money from the woman to be sent to various accounts.
After realizing she had been swindled, the woman contacted law enforcement to report the elaborate scam, acknowledging her own naivety and regretting falling for the deception.
Police in Pennsylvania are currently investigating the incident to determine the whereabouts of the scammer.
