$80K Stolen From Illinois Woman Through Fake Celebrity Scam

The internet can be a useful but dangerous tool because there are so many scam artists out there who just want to steal your money and will do anything to get their hands on it.

Super Fans Of Celebrities In Illinois

Pretty much everyone has someone they're a fan of. Maybe a professional athlete, rock star, or actor to just name a few. They believe there's a connection with the celebrity and will do anything to have some sort of contact with them, especially to meet them in person. That makes them a prime target for a scam.

RELATED: New Puppy Scam In Illinois

Illinois Woman Is Huge Fan Of Famous Actor

A woman from Chicago Ridge likes the actor, Taylor Kinney, from the TV show, "Chicago Fire." She is a member of a fan group on social media. Her dream is someday to meet him in person. When she thought her dream finally came through, it cost her $80,000.

Illinois Woman Scammed Out Of $80,000 Through Fake Celebrity Scam

The woman was contacted through the fan group by someone who pretended to be Taylor Kinney. Since the lady liked him so much, she was convinced that he was the real person. They were in contact for over a year. During that time, the scammer came up with different stories about why he needed to borrow money and she gave it to him.

According to nbcchicago.com,

She went through all of her savings. She cashed out her 401(k). She’s taken loans. She had a car that was paid off, now she took a loan against the car.

 

It progressed from 'hey, buy this fan card,' to 'hey, I need money, my manager is holding my contract and not giving me money to use to get out of that contract,' They just kept asking for more, more, more.