An elaborate tale involving the discovery of a Middle Eastern jewel collection was nothing more than a conman’s ruse, but police say it was enough to convince a local woman to part with $5,500.
In a news release Friday, Pennsylvania State Police at Dublin said the 55-year-old woman from Milford Township met the man to whom she transferred that money on an online dating site.
“During a period of a few months, the suspect acted as a military officer who was stationed in the Persian Gulf,” police said.
“During their communication, the suspect devised an elaborate story and requested multiple payments to be sent to a Walmart in Minnesota,” they added.
According to police, between Aug. 1 and Sept. 30 the phony Romeo was able to convince the woman that he needed the money “to store, insure, transfer ownership and ship to the victim a collection of jewels he had found while on duty.”