A Chuckey man allegedly has sent around $140,000 to a woman from Florida who he met online.
The man from Dinwiddie Road said he met the suspect named Barbara Rodriguez on a dating site in August of 2023 and since then they have been texting. The suspect reportedly stated her father passed away and left an inheritance for her in the form of cash and gold overseas. The victim was asked to assist Rodriguez in getting the inheritance imported and was told he’d receive his money back, as well as a portion of the inheritance.
The victim has gone to a mailing service in Greeneville and allegedly sent around $140,000 in the form of money orders and gift cards. According to the report, the victim was instructed to send money to the suspect’s lawyer in Covington, TN. Since then the victim was contacted by a bank, which stated there were credit cards opened in his name and $8,000 accumulated in debt.
The victim told the Greene County Sheriff’s Department he needed to prove the fraud or else he’d be obligated to make payments on the cards. No further information was provided regarding contact with the alleged suspect.
