It’s hard to meet someone special, especially in your golden years. Many turn to dating apps to do so. For one 87-year-old Holocaust survivor, swiping right turned out to be a costly affair.
Peaches Stergo, 36, pleaded guilty to conning her dating app match out of $2.8 million. This was her victim’s life savings. For her crimes, she faces up to 20 years in jail. She is scheduled to be sentenced on July 27, 2023.
Stergo and her victim first matched in 2017. Shortly after, she asked to borrow money to pay her lawyer, whom she claimed would not give her an injury settlement. She stated that her money was being held in a TD Bank account, but the investigation found that it never existed.
This behavior continued for the next four and a half years. Stergo drained her victim's bank account while she lived an opulent lifestyle with a beautiful house, a Corvette, luxury vacations, and designer clothing and accessories such as Rolexes. It is a sick thing to do to a vulnerable elderly man.
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Stergo had her victim sign over 62 checks. She deposited almost $3 million into her own bank accounts. He lost his apartment in the process.
Stergo claimed that her accounts would be frozen if the victim did not give her more money. Out of fear of never seeing his money again, he gave her more. It was a vicious cycle.
Stergo even created fake documents to back up her false stories. She made invoices that looked like they came from a TD Bank employee. She also created a fake email account.
As part of her guilty plea, Stergo was ordered to pay $2.8 million in restitution. She also has to give back the luxury items she purchased with the funds from her victim. This is some poetic justice.
US Attorney Damian Williams discussed this case in a statement. “Peaches Stergo stole the life savings from an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor who was just looking for companionship. This conduct is sick – and sad,” Williams explained. “Thanks to the hard work of the FBI and this Office, Stergo is being held accountable for her fraud.”
