California woman dead in murder-suicide may have given thousands to a scammer claiming to be Tom Selleck
NBC News • • general
Key Points:
- An elderly California couple, Donald and Karen Whitaker, were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide, with Karen having been a victim of financial elder abuse by a scammer impersonating actor Tom Selleck.
- The scam began about a year ago via Facebook, where the scammer gained Karen's trust and repeatedly persuaded her to send money through gift cards, totaling hundreds of dollars.
- Despite warnings from friends and intervention by adult protective services and law enforcement, Karen continued to send money and communicate with the scammer, who also engaged in increasingly personal messages.
- Authorities have stated there is no evidence linking the scammer to the couple's deaths, but the investigation is ongoing, and the actor Tom Selleck is not implicated in any wrongdoing.
- Friends and family expressed concern over the vulnerability of elderly individuals to such scams and hope to raise awareness to prevent similar incidents in the future.