A Pennsylvania man lost $42,700 after being contacted by someone pretending to be WWE star Rhea Ripley, according to Pennsylvania State Police.
The victim, a 64-year-old man, was targeted in March. Troopers based in Kittanning, around 45 miles northeast of Pittsburgh in Armstrong County, said an unknown person or group used Ripley’s identity to obtain the money.
According to WPXI, a police public information officer said the man has refused to cooperate with the investigation. No arrests have been made.
Police have not revealed how the scammer first contacted him or how the money was transferred. The reported incident involved someone impersonating Ripley.
Ripley has previously warned fans about fake accounts using her name. The case highlights how convincing celebrity impersonators can be, particularly when they spend time building trust before asking for money.
These schemes can involve requests for money to cover supposed emergencies, travel expenses or fees for an in-person meeting.
Fans who encounter suspected impersonation accounts can report them to the platform involved. Suspected scams can also be reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
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