Karen Whitaker, 79, and her husband Donald Whitaker, 80, were found dead inside their California home on May 15 after the wife allegedly lost thousands of dollars to an online scam involving someone posing as actor Tom Selleck.
According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, Karen had been the victim of financial elder abuse in the weeks leading up to their death.
Friends say she was convinced she had formed a friendship online with someone she believed was actor Tom Selleck. The person was allegedly a scammer who spent months gaining her trust before persuading her to send money.
Her friend, Joy Miedecke, told NBC News that Karen lost at least $30,000 over the course of roughly a year.
“Of course, immediately we said, ‘No, that’s not Tom Selleck. This is a scam’,” Miedecke said, according to Tyla. “But she wouldn’t believe anybody.”
The scammer said he was Tom Selleck
According to Miedecke, the scam began when the impersonator contacted Karen through social media and said they had a mutual friend who had died. The conversation eventually moved off the platform after the pair exchanged phone numbers.
The scammer later told Karen he was hosting an event, and asked her to purchase an $80 ticket. Miedecke said Karen immediately sent the money.
“He told her how to send it, and she immediately did. He kept writing her and gaining her trust and becoming her friend,” Miedecke recalled.
“That was the beginning. Then he needed money for this, and that and the other, and it just kept growing,” Miedecke said.
As the requests continued, Karen’s husband Donald eventually became aware of the situation after adult protective services workers visited the couple’s home, according to Miedecke.
She kept sending him money
She said he responded by cutting off Karen’s access to the couple’s financial accounts. Despite that, Karen allegedly continued finding ways to send money in secret.
On the day she died, Karen reportedly reached out to several friends asking for financial help.
“That was the last straw for Donald,” Miedecke told PEOPLE. “He was so embarrassed. He could not believe she would ask her friends to participate in this scam.”
Authorities have not accused Tom Selleck of any involvement or wrongdoing in connection with the case. Police have not yet officially identified who they believe was responsible in the apparent murder-suicide.
“Homicide investigators are still actively investigating the incident and will complete a thorough investigation before releasing a final disposition,” the sheriff’s office said, according to Tyla.
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