This archive report was first published on 20 November 2019.
A man has been accused of disappearing with $2,950 (Ksh. 300,162) he obtained from an elderly woman through an internet scam in September 2019.
According to the Kingsport Police Department, the man, identified as Michael Alfredo Garcia, met the woman on a dating site called Plenty of Fish.
He claimed to be an orthopedic surgeon contracted by the U.S. Army to cater to soldiers stationed in Baghdad and told the woman he was retiring.
Michael asked the woman to send several cashier’s checks to a friend who was supposed to arrange the shipment of his personal belongings through a company called Skyline Courier Service.
However, the woman never received the property, and she was unable to reach Michael after that.
As a precaution, the Kingsport Police Department advises people to be wary of scammers who ask for money and personal information, and to verify companies and products before making any transactions.
