Holocaust Survivor Becomes Victim of Massive Scam

Woman Allegedly Scammed Holocaust Survivor Out of Millions

(LibertySociety.com) – Between 1939 and 1945, the German Nazi party tore millions of people out of their homes, murdering many and imprisoning the rest in concentration camps. In all, about six million European Jews were murdered, in addition to five million others who didn’t fit into Adolf Hitler’s desired category of people. Some victims survived the inhumane ordeal and lived to tell their stories, but not many are left, and with each passing year, fewer Holocaust victims remain to remind others of the horrors unleashed by the Nazis.

One such survivor, an 87-year-old man, was made victim of a crime when a 36-year-old woman from Florida allegedly swindled him out of his life savings. On January 25, the Department of Justice in the Southern District of New York announced the arrest of Peaches Stergo. According to the indictment, she methodically drained all of his money — more than $2.8 million — over the course of four-and-a-half years in order to become rich.

The DOJ stated that the pair met on a dating app in 2017 when the defendant quickly used the relationship to convince the victim to let her borrow money to pay for some expenses she incurred. Apparently, she told the man the creditor was holding onto a large settlement for her and wouldn’t release the funds until she paid. He acquiesced. Once she knew she could get money, she continued demanding payments, and this went on until October 2021. The Justice Department also said she continued her fraud by creating fake accounts and impersonating banks to trick the man into giving up his money.

Stergo allegedly used the Holocaust survivor’s money to live a posh life, while the victim lost everything — including his home.

The defendant faces one count of wire fraud and could spend up to 20 years in prison if convicted. There’s no word on whether or not the court will force her to pay back the money she allegedly stole.

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