73-Year-Old Woman Duped into Sending $20,000 to Fake MSNBC Anchor Ari Melber
A 73-year-old grandmother from the Seattle area was scammed out of at least $20,000 by a con artist posing as MSNBC anchor Ari Melber. Patricia Taylor, a former Boeing employee, began a months-long dialogue on Facebook with someone claiming to be Melber, and eventually flew to New York to meet him.
The scammer, who used an AI-generated voice message to mimic Melber’s voice, convinced Taylor that he needed money to treat his sick dog, Penny. Taylor sent the scammer $20,000, as well as gift cards, and even believed she was in love with him and would get married.
The family staged two interventions to convince Taylor that the individual she was communicating with was not the real Melber, but she remained convinced until a relative tracked her cell phone and intercepted her at a layover in Portland.
The Marysville, Washington police department has launched an investigation into the scam, which is one of many that target the elderly. According to the FBI, elder fraud generates $3 billion in ill-gotten gains annually.
The real Ari Melber declined to comment on the incident, and an MSNBC spokesperson also declined to comment. The family is concerned that Taylor may still try to meet with the individual posing as Melber, and is urging her to stop communicating with him.