An 80-year-old resident was defrauded of $5,000 in a dating scam, according to a Facebook post from the Chesterton Police Department.
According to police, the senior and her daughter advised the investigating officer of the following:
The senior “explained that she met a man named Vincent Malone on Facebook in December for 2023,” the CPD said. “She advised he is a brigadier general with the U.S. Army. (The senior) and Vincent spoke for a few months. During this time, Richard Paul, a diplomat and a member of Congress, reached out to (the senior). Richard explained that he was reaching out to (the senior) on Vincent’s behalf. Richard explained that Vincent’s portfolio, containing identification, money, and retirement papers, was stuck in a warehouse in Syria. Richard asked if (the senior) would send $5,000 to him for travel expenses. However, she needed to write the check to ‘Sheila Frazier.’ Sheila is both Vincent’s and Richard’s secretary.”
The senior did write a personal check in the amount of $5,000 payable to “Sheila Frazier,” the CPD said.
The investigating officer explained to the senior and her daughter—who filed a report with the FBI—“that the reality of getting her mother’s money back was unlikely.”