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Scammers tricked a 79-year-old man out of nearly $1 million, including his granddaughter’s college savings. They pretended to be WWE star Alexa Bliss.
The man passed away last summer.
This story is part of a New York Times series about online scams aimed at older Americans. Chris Mancinelli’s father, Alfred, truly believed he was dating Alexa Bliss, whose real name is Alexis Cabrera. “There was nothing we could do to convince him,” Chris shared with the Times.
Interestingly, Alexa Bliss has been used in various scams before. It’s become so frequent that she’s had to warn her fans multiple times online.
Please stop talking to fake accts – I hate that ONCE AGAIN I have to say this… pic.twitter.com/sOp1VSzCG4
— Lexi (Kaufman) Cabrera (@AlexaBliss_WWE) December 21, 2022
Even without audio or video chats, Alfred believed the scammer was real. Their conversations were dramatic, like a soap opera. He even disowned his son for trying to protect his money. The fake Alexa talked about Vince McMahon and made up stories about being humiliated by him.
When Alfred had just $100,000 left, Chris moved it to another account. Alfred sued him! But Chris gave the money back, and soon it was gone too.
Alfred’s Google account was linked to devices in Nigeria. He’d also been scammed by others claiming to need help for sick children. By the end of his life, he lost not just his money but also his family ties.
“He lost all his money, his family relationships and was constantly stressed through it trying to get more and more money for them,” said Chris.
