SPARTANBURG, S.C. – A woman from Woodruff says she shelled out more than $565,000 to a man she met on a dating website.
According to the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, the 66-year-old woman filed a scam report this week saying she met the man on www.seniorsmeet.com. The man said his name was Thomas Sterling.
The report says the two had been talking with each other via email and phone calls over the last year and a half.
Sterling told her he got a government contract from Canada where he’d be getting paid $950,000 once he finished the work. She says he sent her a copy of a money order from Scotiabank to prove that he would be receiving the money.
According to the report, Sterling told her he needed money from her to help pay for up front fees like site, hotel, border and bank fees.
The woman said he typed up a promissory note stating that he would repay her the money, along with federal and state taxes owed on it.
She told deputies she’s given Sterling a total of $566,745. That includes taking out nine loans worth $90,000.
She says Sterling is still asking her for $4,000 more.
Deputies now have a copy of the promissory note and the money order and are still investigating.
