MARYSVILLE, Wash. — A Marysville grandmother is the victim of a scam involving a popular cable TV host. Her family says a man posing as an MSNBC anchor has swindled the unsuspecting senior out of tens of thousands of dollars.
"We want to vomit," says Meri Taylor. "It's pretty disgusting," adds her brother Joey.
The Taylor family is sickened by the scam their mother has been dragged into that has turned the family inside out.
Their 73-year-old mom, Patricia, is such a fan of MSNBC's Ari Melber that she messaged him on Facebook, or she thought she did.
It turned out to be a fake profile. And the craziness started from there.
"She's a very trusting person," said Joey. "If you say the right words, she figures she has no reason not to believe you."
The fake Ari started texting Patricia, asking her to send him money and gift cards to treat his sick dog, Penny.
"My mom is saying, 'You're on TV. Don't you have money?' He tells her he doesn't have access to this money," said Joey. "He tells her that it's for Penny. 'Please don't let Penny die.'"
"She's at least $20,000 in," said Meri. "It was $20,000 as of the first of November. There could be more."
But the scam doesn't stop there.
The family said over the past four months, the scammer convinced Patricia they were in love and going to be married. He even sent her a ring.
"We found the ring," said Meri. "It's a $30 ring."
When Patricia got suspicious, the scammer doubled down. Faki Ari texted, "When did Ari Melber turn into a scammer?"
That was followed by an AI generated message using fake Ari's voice: "You're reading my messages and not responding. I'd never (scam) you. Have you found someone else?"
On Monday, Patricia boarded a plane from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to New York City to meet her mystery man.
The family had started tracking her cell phone and was able to have a relative intercept Patricia during a layover in Portland and bring her home.
"I believe they would have asked for some kind of ransom. We have your mom," said Meri. "They'd see how much money they could get out of us."
All this happened despite two interventions with Patricia who worked at both Boeing and the University of Washington for decades.
"Our mother is not a dumb person," said Meri. "How did she fall for this? How did she not see what was going on? You try to explain the logic and it doesn't sink in."
Patricia is not alone.
The FBI reports in 2023 more than 101,000 people 60 and older fell victim to fraud. That's a 14% increase from the previous year.
The Taylors fear their mom might try to meet up with the scammer again. They just want some way out of this mess.
"We just want our mom back," says Joey.
For the record, MSNBC tells KING 5 the real Ari Melber has no connection to the situation or the Marysville woman, whatsoever.
The Marysville Police Department is investigating.
The Fraud Watch Network offers several tips for people to help their parents or vulnerable seniors avoid online or virtual scams:
Discuss fraud and financial safety
Amy Nofziger, the director of victim support, encourages families to have conversations about fraud and financial safety, similar to conversations about personal safety. She suggests being non-judgmental and asking questions to practice responses.
Approach the issue as a team
Another tip is to make it a team effort by reviewing safety features of electronic devices together; checking up on a parent's social media accounts and privacy settings; and screening calls or using cellphone safety features to send all unknown numbers to voicemail.
Encourage open communication
Nofziger also encourages open communication by assuring parents they can speak with you about anything, reminding that scammers often tell victims to keep things a secret and to reinforce the importance of trusting family — not someone they just met online.