In Cleveland Ohio, a Journey fan lost thousands of dollars after being tricked by someone pretending to be Steve Perry.
The 75-year-old woman received a Facebook message in January from the scammer, who claimed to be Perry and offered a business opportunity. The scammer also shared romantic interest, according to Westlake police.
The victim continued communicating with the scammer through text messages and WhatsApp and eventually sent thousands of dollars. When the scammer asked for photos of passports and driver’s licenses, the victim realized she had been scammed.
Reports say the victim lost over $120,000 in total. Westlake Police are investigating the case.
A Similar Incident
In addition to Perry, another Journey member has been through the same troubles in the past too. In fact, he warned his fans about the authenticity of his identity.
In 2021, Neal Schon took to social media to warn his fans about the ‘piece of sh*t imposter.’ In his words, the scammer was trying to persuade people to send him money for a ‘meet and greet.’
Schon wrote in a Facebook post:
“Dear friends, I’ve been very busy working and trying to heal from the pain from [the] loss of [longtime Journey manager] Herbie Herbert, and there is a low-life imposter acting like they are me asking you to write me privately. Know that this is not me. Always check for [a] blue dot. I do not have any other account. Have some decency please.”
Schon posted a photo of a fake ID the scammer is using. He also revealed the impostor is asking for $350 for a VIP pass:
“Apparently this A-hole is at it again, asking for [$]350 money for VIP pass. DO NOT FALL FOR THIS PIECE OF SH*T!”
It’s unclear whether or not the scammer is the same person as the Steve Perry imposter.