Impostor posing as rock legend scams woman out of $120,000

An impostor pretending to be a rock and roll legend scammed a Cleveland-area woman out of more than $120,000.

Cleveland.com reports a 75-year-old Westlake, Ohio, resident told police that she was scammed by someone claiming to be former Journey singer Steve Perry. The person contacted her through Facebook in January, Westlake police said.

“The fake Mr. Perry had a business opportunity for investment and of course ‘needed a woman in his life,’” police said in a report Friday.

Police said the victim reported the scheme last week after she “sent thousands of dollars to the person, who continued correspondence through text messaging and WhatsApp.” She sent $72,000 via wire transfers to “various persons in different states, designated by ‘Perry,’” and also purchased about $50,000 worth of gift cards at their request.

She said she realized something was wrong when the person became more demanding, including asking for photos of passports and driver’s licenses. WKYC reports police told her to report the scam to her bank, as well as IC3.gov, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

A suspect has not been identified. Investigators are also looking into electronic leads, police said.

The real Perry is a 75-year-old singer best known as the lead vocalist of Journey’s classic lineup on hits like “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart),” “Open Arms,” “Any Way You Want It,” “Don’t Stop Believin’” and “Faithfully.” Perry performed with Journey from 1977 to 1987 and from 1995 to 1998; he was inducted with the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.