ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / NEWS

Florida Woman Who Pulled a $2.8 Million Romance Scam on Elderly Holocaust Survivor Gets 4-Year Sentence

The victim lost not only his life savings but also his apartment while the scammer indulged herself in luxury.
UPDATED AUG 24, 2023
Cover Image Source: Sargis Zubov/Getty Images
Cover Image Source: Sargis Zubov/Getty Images

A Florida woman who confessed to engaging in a romance scam and draining almost $3 million from the life savings of an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor has been sentenced to four years in prison. In federal court in Manhattan on Thursday (August 1, 2023), 36-year-old Peaches Stergo received her sentence after pleading guilty to wire fraud in April 2023, per The Guardian. The arrest took place in January 2023, when she was charged with stealing $2.8 million from the elderly man who fell victim to an extended deception that came to an end in 2021.

Image Source: Celiaosk/Getty Images
Image Source: Celiaosk/Getty Images

During that year, the elderly victim was among approximately 24,000 individuals who collectively lost over $1 billion to romance scammers operating with false identities online, preying on vulnerable individuals seeking companionship through dating websites.

How the scam unfolded

In 2017, the victim encountered Stergo on one of the dating websites. She convinced him that she needed funds to cover legal expenses tied to an injury settlement, which, as it turns out, did not actually exist, according to prosecutors. From her residence in Champions Gate, Florida, Stergo skillfully manipulated the victim into providing more funds, claiming that she needed the money to gain access to a bank account from which she would repay him. Deceiving the victim even further, she posed as a bank employee and forged documents and emails to assure him of repayment.

The victim lost not only his life savings but also his apartment while Stergo indulged herself in luxury, purchasing a home in a gated community, a condominium, a boat, multiple high-end cars, and Rolex watches. Lavish vacations and extravagant items from renowned designers were also part of her extravagant spending.

Even more disturbingly, Stergo ridiculed her victim in text messages sent to her actual partner, mocking the man for expressing love towards her while condescendingly dismissing him as "broke."

Image Source: Runstudio/Getty Images
Image Source: Runstudio/Getty Images

The scam finally unraveled when the victim disclosed to his son in October 2021 that he had lent out his life savings. The son quickly realized the fraudulent nature of the situation and alerted his father who subsequently stopped writing checks and contacted the authorities. Stergo was eventually tracked down and brought to justice.

The reason behind the scam 

According to Stergo's attorney, Ann Fitz, she deemed the four-year and three-month sentence as appropriate for her client, per NBC News. Before the sentencing, Fitz submitted documents detailing Stergo's troubled childhood marked by instability and trauma, which contributed to her developing compulsive behaviors such as drinking, gambling, and engaging in the scam to which she confessed. Prosecutors presented incriminating texts from Stergo, indicating that she conducted the scam out of frustration over her financial situation and a reluctance to seek lawful employment. "I don't want to work," she stated in one text. "It's too hard."

Image Source: Lucy Lambriex/Getty Images
Image Source: Lucy Lambriex/Getty Images

Legal proceedings and further disclosures 

Judge Edgardo Ramos, presiding over the case, also mandated that Stergo forfeit her home and all the luxury items she obtained through the fraudulent scheme. NBC revealed that the victim, whose identity remains undisclosed, had written a letter to Ramos. In the letter, the victim recounted his journey to the United States during his 20s, fleeing the tragedy of losing his parents in the Holocaust. He expressed, "I tirelessly built a successful business, a loving family, and a home in New York...The last thing I anticipated was to end my life in the same destitute and betrayed manner as I began it." Prosecutors cited this letter while requesting an eight-year sentence for the perpetrator. However, Stergo was finally sentenced to four years of imprisonment. 



 

Despite the slight decline in the rate of romance scams over the last year, the FBI continues to emphasize the importance of vigilance for online users, particularly highlighting the vulnerability of older individuals to such scams.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
The co-founders of Y'all Sweet Tea blew away the Sharks with their incredible numbers.
5 hours ago
From his lips to his bald head, Harvey has to defends all sort of jabs.
10 hours ago
The woman who gifted the painting to the owners had earlier sold it to another dealer as she couldnt sleep at night.
2 days ago
When it came to naming something of Harvey they would want to touch, the players didn't hold back
2 days ago
Rick Harrison's go to expert warned him not to touch it with a "10 foot pole."
2 days ago
The massive manufacturer has been operational for more than a hundred years now.
3 days ago
While the player was overwhelmed with emotion, host, Drew Carey was left hanging for a handshake.
5 days ago
Turns out, the guest's father was the renowned artist, Demetrios Jameson.
5 days ago
While the player, Rodney Flippen took the loss on the chin, fans were left heartbroken.
6 days ago
Harvey was stunned to see that Lisa would risk her marriage to get the top answer.
6 days ago
The outbreak has been linked to four deaths, and 19 hospitalizations, according to the CDC.
6 days ago
The President and CEO of Walmart, Doug McMillion expressed that AI will "literally change every job."
7 days ago
While the seller was confident that the instrument was ever so valuable, Harrison begged to differ.
7 days ago
The 54th season of the show has begun with a brand-new game, but fans fear it could be rigged.
Sep 30, 2025
The guest had absolutely no idea that the Ching Dynasty snuff bottle could be worth so much.
Sep 30, 2025
While Corey Harrison tried his best, the seller had other plans and stuck to it.
Sep 28, 2025
Harvey warned the contestant that she may be in a situation she can't handle.
Sep 27, 2025
In the end, the expert adviced the guest to put the item on a pedestal for the future.
Sep 27, 2025
Fans debated if the player got the correct answer in time, or if the judges the right call
Sep 26, 2025
While the comedian/host's answers were barely intelligible, Harvey didn't miss a beat to roast him.
Sep 26, 2025