A 79-year-old widow in Millsboro was scammed out of $7,000 after she believed she was forming a meaningful online relationship, as reported by CoastTV.
The incident began in early November when Beverly Stern started receiving friendly messages from a man she had never met, who claimed to have found her on a dating app she says she never used. What started as casual conversation soon became a daily routine, with the man expressing love and promising a future together.
He told her he was working with the U.S. Department of Defense in Israel and needed money for medication, food, and travel so he could eventually meet her in person. The emotional connection made her vulnerable, leading her to send $2,000 in gift cards and later $5,000 in Bitcoin, totaling $7,000.
The widow described the experience as deeply painful, both financially and emotionally. Police warn that romance scammers often target individuals who are lonely or vulnerable and urge anyone who receives suspicious messages requesting money or personal information to report them immediately.
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