Holocaust survivor, 87, conned out of $2.8 million in life savings in scam by Florida woman

A Holocaust survivor was conned out of his life savings of $2.8 million by a woman he met on a dating app, federal prosecutors have charged.

The scam was allegedly carried out over the course of several years by 36-year-old Peaches ‘Alice’ Stergo, eventually leaving the unnamed 87-year-old victim so destitute that she was forced to leave her Manhattan apartment.

Meanwhile, the feds wrote in an indictment filed Wednesday, Stergo lived like a queen, buying a $300,000 home in a posh gated community in Florida, as well as Rolex watches, a boat, two cars, and various other luxury items, thanks to 62 checks lent by the unsuspecting old man.

Stergo, who used the alias “Alice” when messaging her aging brand, was arrested by federal agents Friday, detained in her home state on wire fraud charges.

Facing up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted, she will now be transferred to New York to face those charges, Justice Department officials said Thursday.

Meanwhile, the feds wrote in an indictment filed Wednesday, Stergo lived like a queen, buying this $300,000 home in a posh gated community in Florida, as well as Rolex watches, a boat, two cars (not pictured) and various other luxury items.

Michael J. Driscoll, deputy director of the FBI’s New York field office, announced the charges Wednesday, saying the suspect “cruelly took advantage of an elderly man who was simply looking for companionship, defrauding him of his life savings” in the process. .

The indictment detailed Stergo’s alleged schemes, which prosecutors say began in 2017 when he told the victim he needed a loan to pay a lawyer so he could collect on a settlement he said he owed after a car accident.

Officials said Stergo only asked for $25,000 to begin with, but the amount quickly increased as the federal fraud suspect kept asking for money, claiming the funds were still on hold.

When the man became suspicious, the feds said the woman allegedly forged bank documents and emails to convince him she was telling the truth, even going so far as to impersonate a bank employee and create a fake email to make sure that they would pay you

The lies allegedly lasted for five years, before the man confided in his son that he had given away everything he owned, after being forced to move out of his New York City apartment.

Read the accusation here:

The man’s son would later contact authorities to tell them that his father, whom officials only identified as an “87-year-old Holocaust survivor,” had been scammed.

That event, prosecutors wrote, occurred in October 2021, by which time the victim had already sent 62 checks made out to Stergo for a value of $2.8 million.

All of the checks were deposited into accounts belonging to Stergo, according to the indictment, and helped her live large, take luxury trips and purchase the new condo, located in a private bayside community, all while the elderly person fell into poverty waiting to be reimbursed

Federal prosecutors detailed the scope of Stergo’s alleged crimes in an eight-page indictment, citing how he used the funds to buy not only a house, but also “numerous cars,” including a Chevy Corvette and a Suburban, both of which cost about $60,000 new.

The feds detailed the scope of Stergo’s alleged crimes in an eight-page indictment, citing how he used the funds to buy not just a house, but “numerous cars,” including a Chevy Corvette (seen in a file image at left). ) and Suburban (right), both of which cost about $60,000 new

Prosecutors said the suspect bought several Rolex watches and other luxury items with the money, which she received almost monthly, often in $50,000 increments.

“She has lived a life of luxury with the millions she received from the fraud: she bought a house in a gated community, a condo, a boat, and numerous cars, including a Corvette and a Suburban,” the indictment read.

He further revealed that during the course of the fraud, Stergo took several trips while staying at places like the Ritz Carlton, spending many tens of thousands of dollars on expensive meals, gold coins and bullion, jewelry, Rolex watches, and designer clothing. . .’

Prosecutors cited that the items the defendant had purchased came from stores such as ‘Tiffany, Ralph Lauren, Neiman Marcus, Louis Vuitton and Hermes’, noting their cost.

Stergo was allegedly able to maintain the masque for nearly five years, during which time he received nearly monthly checks, often in $50,000 increments.

The gated community where the suspect lives has amenities such as golf courses, restaurants, and a personal spa for residents.

To accomplish this, the Florida woman allegedly posed as a bank clerk and sent false bills to the victim, the feds said, adding that the pair had met on an unnamed dating platform around “six or seven years ago.” years’.

Only when the oldest son told him he had been scammed, prosecutors said, did he stop writing checks.

Stergos, who bought her Champions Gate home in 2020, is currently in custody in Florida, where she is expected to appear in federal court before being transferred and arraigned in New York to face the fraud charge.

The gated community in which he now resides features amenities such as golf courses, restaurants, and a personal spa for residents. The suspect’s attorney was not listed in Wednesday’s filing.