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Florida woman targeted Holocaust survivor in $2.8M romance scam, feds say
ClickOrlando.com ^ | January 25, 2023 | Christie Zizo

Posted on 01/25/2023 6:47:48 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orlando woman was arrested Wednesday, accused of a romance scam that drained an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor of his life savings, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

Prosecutors and the FBI say Peaches Stergo, 36, of Championsgate met the victim on a dating website six or seven years ago, and in 2017 asked to borrow money to pay a lawyer who was refusing to release funds from an injury settlement.

According to the federal indictment, over the next few years, Stergo repeatedly demanded the victim deposit money into her bank accounts, saying if he didn’t they would be frozen and he would never get his money back. Prosecutors say Stergo also created a fake email address, claiming to belong to a TD Bank employee, along with fake letters and invoices.

The victim wrote checks totaling $2.8 million, prosecutors say. His life savings were drained, and he was forced to give up his apartment.

Prosecutors say Stergo, meanwhile, bought a home in a gated community, several cars, a boat, gold, Rolex watches, designer clothes and took expensive trips.

Stergo is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum of 20 years in prison. Any sentence will be decided by a federal judge.

Romance scam losses have skyrocketed in the last few years, according to the Florida Trade Commission. In 2021, reported losses reached $547 million, up from $307 million in 2020, and from only $87 million in 2017.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Chit/Chat; Conspiracy; Health/Medicine; Local News; Miscellaneous; Society
KEYWORDS: arrest; championsgate; doj; fbi; florida; floridawoman; peaches; peachesofcourse; peachesstergo; theft; wirefraud
Vile. Maybe she should be forced to tour the Holocaust Museum in DC. But then again, making her set foot in DC might actually be better punishment than the museum itself.
1 posted on 01/25/2023 6:47:48 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

He won’t get the money back. She spent it on food. Checked the pic-guilty.


2 posted on 01/25/2023 6:53:03 PM PST by DIRTYSECRET
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

3 posted on 01/25/2023 6:53:35 PM PST by ViLaLuz (2 Chronicles 7:14)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

I suspect the fact that he was a Holocaust survivor had nothing to do with it.


4 posted on 01/25/2023 6:54:59 PM PST by babygene (Make America Great Again)
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To: ViLaLuz

Geeze...his eyesight must have been bad.


5 posted on 01/25/2023 6:59:09 PM PST by Gay State Conservative (No Doubt Now: Stolen Election)
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To: Recovering Ex-hippie

FL woman, not to be left behind, springs into action…

Hope things are well for you!


6 posted on 01/25/2023 7:11:55 PM PST by cyn
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What despicable behavior. It’s such a shame that he had no person or entity in his life paying attention to him being sucked dry.


7 posted on 01/25/2023 7:15:14 PM PST by cyn
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To: ViLaLuz

The name, Peaches Sturgo, and that photo would be the basis for a comedy film - if it wasn’t for the poor old guy who got cheated.


8 posted on 01/25/2023 7:16:12 PM PST by PGR88
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Face time with Peaches would mean death by suffocation. Yuk!


9 posted on 01/25/2023 7:22:17 PM PST by vetvetdoug
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To: ViLaLuz

God have mercy! Please tell me no man has ever gone there!


10 posted on 01/25/2023 7:37:40 PM PST by Az Joe (Live free or die)
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To: ViLaLuz

guilty of over inflation


11 posted on 01/25/2023 7:44:47 PM PST by sten (fighting tyranny never goes out of style)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

The article doesn’t say if the elderly man is still alive. What a shame he had no one looking out for him.


12 posted on 01/25/2023 7:47:37 PM PST by lee martell
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To: vetvetdoug

“Face time”. LoL


13 posted on 01/25/2023 7:48:20 PM PST by webheart
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Well, that’s the pits.


14 posted on 01/25/2023 9:29:27 PM PST by moovova ("The NEXT election is the most important election of our lifetimes!“ LOL...)
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To: Gay State Conservative

He’s 87 and lonely the fact she talked to him was all it took

But he should have known a woman who’s name is “Peaches” should be avoided at all cost, it’s a bad stripper name


15 posted on 01/25/2023 10:22:05 PM PST by srmanuel (t)
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To: vetvetdoug
Hahahahahahaha! Now THAT made me laugh...the first thing it brought to mind when I read that post was this:

LINK: "Idiocracy" Prison Scene, Sitting On The Face

16 posted on 01/26/2023 4:20:10 AM PST by rlmorel ("If you think tough men are dangerous, just wait until you see what weak men are capable of." JBP)
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To: srmanuel

And in addition I’ll wager that there’s at least some...if not a lot...of brain deterioration as well.


17 posted on 01/26/2023 4:35:36 AM PST by Gay State Conservative (No Doubt Now: Stolen Election)
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To: ViLaLuz
Holy cow!

Fer 2.8 mil I'm thinkin Homer coulda upped his game..

18 posted on 01/26/2023 5:35:58 AM PST by CopperTop (Outside the wire it's just us chickens. Dig?)
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To: PGR88

Great name


19 posted on 01/26/2023 1:46:48 PM PST by keving (We the government )
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To: Gay State Conservative

He missed her craaaaazy eyes.


20 posted on 01/26/2023 4:15:13 PM PST by ViLaLuz (2 Chronicles 7:14)
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