Posted on 05/21/2026 7:49:25 PM PDT by BenLurkin
nvestigators said a scammer pretending to be actor Tom Selleck had defrauded an elderly couple in Riverside County who was later found dead in a suspected murder-suicide.
On May 15, deputies from the Thermal Sheriff’s Station were called to a home in the 79000 block of Montego Bay Drive in Bermuda Dunes just before midnight for a welfare check.
Inside the home, two people were found with traumatic injuries — Donald Whitaker, 80, and his wife, Karen Whitaker, 79. They were pronounced dead at the scene.
It all began after Karen posted a message on Facebook about a friend who had recently passed away.
Miedecke said an unknown commenter reached out to Karen and began chatting with her. The person eventually gained Karen’s trust by using information that was available on Karen’s profile.
Most alarmingly, the scammer claimed to be actor Tom Selleck.
“Then, the [scammer] said, ‘We’re going to come out to the desert and have an event and Karen, you can be first on the list if you just send $80,'” Miedecke told KTLA’s Shelby Nelson.
At first, Miedecke said the requested dollar amounts were small, but over time, they grew to hundreds and later, thousands of dollars.
“By then, some of the girls and I were finding out about this and we were trying to discourage her, telling her it was a scam, talking to her, doing everything in our power, but she would not believe it,” Miedecke said. “She thought it was really Tom Selleck.”
(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...
Sad story. Thank you God for sparing my 85 year old mom this type of scenario. She is still very capable of smelling a liar and has no problems telling them where to get off.
While on ‘X’ I started a conversation with someone claiming to be Elon Musk. Obviously I was very suspicious but I played along for awhile. When this fake tried to get me to invest money in something that is when I stopped playing along. At one point I had about 12 fake Elon Musk accounts trying to start up a conversation with me again. After making fun of them with mockery they eventually gave up.
I don’t trust anyone online that is not a Nigerian prince.
I hope ‘Tom’ is caught and prosecuted.
ROFLOL !!
We need the “Bee Keeper” to take care of this!
Good one!
Tom Selleck was found dead?
Yes, really awful writing, isn’t it?
My Mom is 90 and has been taking care of her finances since she was 55. Scammers son’t have a prayer with her.
My mom watches the view and gives money to ActBlue. I can only imagine how much they have scammed from her.
You have my sympathy. My mom goes on facebook and makes me listed to the braintrust that is “Occupy Democrats” and she’s Canadian.
A good recent movie worth seeing. I haven't heard of whole buildings full of fraud operators running like a business model as in that film but it wouldn't surprise me.
Internet say's ol' Tom's worth at least $45 million, so I don't expect he needs to scam, let alone take out a 'reverse mortgage'.
“Hi, I’m Tom Sellick, send me money in traveler’s checks please”
LOL!
Back in the day I had a supposed African prince trying to scam me.
I played along for three weeks continually frustrating the scammer, feigning misunderstandings, making minor mistakes in our communications, getting fake angry at them for misunderstanding me. I would hurl curse words at them and disparage their stupidity for being so dense.
They finally gave up. I had some time on my hands at the time.
I agree. Messing with these people can be fun.
I was having “words” with an AI bot last night.
“Just ask me a question.”
“If you were a tree what kind of tree would you be?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t have an answer for that.”
My mother in law clearly understands the risk, but she’s a high trust person who hates to disappoint anyone.
Not two minutes after my wife told her to never answer the phone when she doesn’t recognize the number, it rang and she dutifully answered. The call was legit but still.
And it’s not just Indians and Kenyans doing the scamming. A lady My MIL knows is glomming on to her. The lady has some weird mental illness and we think she wants to be my MIL’s daughter. She’s been trying to force her way in and has told my MIL to not speak with my wife.
MIL has cut her off but she keeps showing up. We’ve installed camera’s to monitor her. We’re also 800 miles away but the lady across the street is a real Karen. (Yea, that’s her name) She’s itching for a fight with this woman.
We’re a bit worried that she’s trying to get her name in the will.
Very weird. We’re preparing the restraining order paperwork this week.
It seems like more women than men are susceptible to such scams.
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