Michigan Woman Loses Life Savings to Scammer Impersonating ‘NCIS’ Star
An Oxford woman is out nearly half a million dollars after being scammed by someone pretending to be NCIS star Mark Harmon.
Sandy Selvan says she is sick to her stomach after selling her home and her car and losing her entire life savings to someone she genuinely believed was the Hollywood actor.
Elaborate Scam Dates Back Nearly a Year
Sandy tells Detroit's WXYZ-TV that the collusion began last April when she got a message on Facebook. The 68-year-old says she usually keeps to herself, filling her days with the task of taking care of one of her sons who has special needs.
From there, the frequency of the messages increased, with the two exchanging hundreds of messages each day. He then persuaded her to chat using the app Zangi, and represented himself as the star of the TV show NCIS.
"He portrayed himself as Mark Harmon," she tells the TV station.
The deception continued for about 10 months, with the perpetrator showing concern for her son, telling her he loved her, and promising to take care of them after they married.
Oxford Woman Begins Sending Money to a Bad Actor
Selvan says the fake Harmon told her he was in Italy and that all of his money was tied up in California.
He asked Sandy to loan him a couple of hundred thousand dollars so he could pay off his crew and then fly home. He promised to move in with Sandy and her son and said he had enough money to take care of them both. The couple made plans to get married.
She continued wiring money to the bad actor. She sold her home and her car in order to get more money to send him.
"He shouldn’t have had any of it. I think it was like a total of 400 and some, 475," Selvan said.
What's Next for Sandy Selvan?
Oakland County Sheriff Michal Bouchard tells WXYZ that his office is investigating the case but notes that the scams often originate from countries where the US doesn't have a treaty. Oftentimes, the money is lost forever.
Selvan says she expects the company that bought her home to evict her and her son today (3/27).
Stunning Hilltop Oxford Home Hits the Market for Under $1M
Gallery Credit: Zillow
10 Biggest Costco Scams Affecting Michigan That You Need To Know Now
Gallery Credit: Jessica Poxson
$1.4M Luxurious Home in Oxford Has Dirt Bikes on Display Inside
Gallery Credit: Redfin
More From Cars 108
