A Cape Coral, Florida couple is out five-figures due of an online catfishing scam using a fake ‘porn star’ social media profile.
The victim’s son said his deluded stepfather’s online love landed his life in financial ruin.
“It was a fake profile of a porn star, and he was very impressed. She’s sending this porn star’s picture like it’s herself. It’s a real person in his mind, and we’re trying to tell him, it’s not,” said Troy Pavel.
The woman on the other end of the so-called relationship — if it’s in fact a woman at all — has taken more than $25,000 of Pavel’s stepfather and mother’s money.
“He blows up one credit card — $15,000. They have ordered eight iPhone phones that are worth $1,300 a piece,” Pavel said.
The price of obsession
Pavel confronted his stepfather multiple times and closed several accounts, but the scandalous and financially crippling behavior continued.
“The cops were here taking a report, and they told him, “Don’t send money to Nigeria.” He left today while I was at work and sent more money. I don’t know how much… but I’ll find out,” Pavel said.
Pavel and his mother have closed almost all of her bank accounts and tried to recover what they can to pay back debt.
Cape Coral police did take a report and are looking into the case.
