December 18, 2016
Pennsylvania State Police say an elderly woman was conned by a Facebook friend into handing over her life savings ostensibly to fund the import of BMWs into the United States.
Authorities say the suspect convinced the woman that her $78,000 was necessary to cover the cost of "port fees," according to WATE.
The alleged scam unfolded over several months beginning in August 2015 until the end of the year. The victim, who was not identifed, only notified police recently because she was reportedly embarrassed by what happened.
Investigators are trying to trace the money through multiple potential banks in California, Florida or Texas. Some of the money, the victim told police, was wired as far away as India.
Police have yet to track down the Facebook friend who perpetrated the scam.
