Tragic deception: Holocaust survivor robbed of $4.48 million in heartbreaking romance scam
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Romance scams are a growing problem. People looking for love and living in an age where technology reigns supreme can become prime targets for crafty cybercriminals.
These fraudsters are always thinking of ways to swindle unsuspecting individuals, and the story of Peaches Stergo – a woman recently sentenced to four years in prison for a ‘romance scam’ – proves that.
It all began back in 2017 on a dating website when Stergo met an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor and swiftly gained his trust by telling him a story all too familiar. She pretended she was in need of money for a lawyer who was withholding money from an injury settlement
This settlement never existed.
From her home in Champions Gate, Florida, Stergo then successfully sought more money from the man by claiming she needed it to gain access to a bank account from which she would repay him.
Over the course of four years, the unsuspecting New York resident wrote 62 checks to Stergo, believing her false promise of repayment.
Unfortunately, the man was conned out of his entire life savings. The estimated $2.8 million USD ($4.4 million AUD) Stergo fraudulently took from her victim was blown on extravagant vacations, luxury cars, and Rolex watches. She was even able to buy a home in a gated community.
It was only when the shocked man revealed his life-changing loss to his son, who promptly told him he’d been scammed, that the victim stopped transfers and contacted the authorities.
Stergo’s attorney, Ann Fitz, said the four-year, three-month sentence was the appropriate length for her client to serve. She argued that Stergo had suffered childhood instability and trauma which drove her to compulsive behaviours, including drinking, gambling and the cruel scam she committed.
However, this doesn’t negate the seriousness of her crime.
Prosecutors also included messages from Stergo which showed she had no remorse for her victim. In the texts, she mocked him for saying he 'loved' her – and also dismissed him as 'broke'.
Prosecutors have shared that Stergo's text messages serve as proof that she scammed the victim, with claims that her motivation stemmed from her frustration with her financial situation and that pursuing employment was tiresome.
‘I don’t want to work,’ Stergo said. ‘It’s just too hard.’
Judge Edgardo Ramos issued a ruling ordering Stergo to surrender her home and the luxury items she had acquired through her illicit activities.
According to NBC, the victim, who remained unidentified, wrote a letter to Judge Ramos. The letter recounted the victim’s journey to the United States in his twenties following the tragic loss of his parents in the Holocaust.
In the letter, the victim shared, ‘I worked tirelessly to establish a successful business, family and home in New York’.
He also said: ‘The last thing I expected was to finish my days in the same manner that I started them – penniless and betrayed.’
While many people are already aware of romance scams, some aren’t spared from this devastating situation. Take the case of this woman who went to find love on a dating app but only ended up being scammed by a man who convinced her to invest in cryptocurrency trading. Read more about this story here.
What are your thoughts on this story? Share them with us in the comments below.
These fraudsters are always thinking of ways to swindle unsuspecting individuals, and the story of Peaches Stergo – a woman recently sentenced to four years in prison for a ‘romance scam’ – proves that.
It all began back in 2017 on a dating website when Stergo met an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor and swiftly gained his trust by telling him a story all too familiar. She pretended she was in need of money for a lawyer who was withholding money from an injury settlement
This settlement never existed.
From her home in Champions Gate, Florida, Stergo then successfully sought more money from the man by claiming she needed it to gain access to a bank account from which she would repay him.
Over the course of four years, the unsuspecting New York resident wrote 62 checks to Stergo, believing her false promise of repayment.
Peaches Stergo scammed a Holocaust survivor through a dating website. Credit: CNN
Unfortunately, the man was conned out of his entire life savings. The estimated $2.8 million USD ($4.4 million AUD) Stergo fraudulently took from her victim was blown on extravagant vacations, luxury cars, and Rolex watches. She was even able to buy a home in a gated community.
It was only when the shocked man revealed his life-changing loss to his son, who promptly told him he’d been scammed, that the victim stopped transfers and contacted the authorities.
Stergo’s attorney, Ann Fitz, said the four-year, three-month sentence was the appropriate length for her client to serve. She argued that Stergo had suffered childhood instability and trauma which drove her to compulsive behaviours, including drinking, gambling and the cruel scam she committed.
However, this doesn’t negate the seriousness of her crime.
Prosecutors also included messages from Stergo which showed she had no remorse for her victim. In the texts, she mocked him for saying he 'loved' her – and also dismissed him as 'broke'.
Prosecutors have shared that Stergo's text messages serve as proof that she scammed the victim, with claims that her motivation stemmed from her frustration with her financial situation and that pursuing employment was tiresome.
‘I don’t want to work,’ Stergo said. ‘It’s just too hard.’
Stergo showed no remorse for scamming her victim $2.8 million USD ($4.4 million AUD). Credit: Unsplash
Judge Edgardo Ramos issued a ruling ordering Stergo to surrender her home and the luxury items she had acquired through her illicit activities.
According to NBC, the victim, who remained unidentified, wrote a letter to Judge Ramos. The letter recounted the victim’s journey to the United States in his twenties following the tragic loss of his parents in the Holocaust.
In the letter, the victim shared, ‘I worked tirelessly to establish a successful business, family and home in New York’.
He also said: ‘The last thing I expected was to finish my days in the same manner that I started them – penniless and betrayed.’
While many people are already aware of romance scams, some aren’t spared from this devastating situation. Take the case of this woman who went to find love on a dating app but only ended up being scammed by a man who convinced her to invest in cryptocurrency trading. Read more about this story here.
What are your thoughts on this story? Share them with us in the comments below.
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