An elderly man was reportedly scammed out of nearly $1 million by individuals impersonating WWE star Alexa Bliss. According to a report by The New York Times, the fraud targeted 79-year-old Alfred Mancinelli, who was contacted online by the impersonators, leading him to send them hundreds of thousands of dollars. This scam began in 2018 but intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report includes insights from Mancinelli’s son, Chris, who shared chat messages where the impersonator claimed to be hospitalized multiple times due to severe menstrual issues and sought financial help for treatment. The impersonator also alleged that she was humiliated by Vince McMahon for rejecting his advances.
At one point, Alfred had saved $900,000, but by spring 2021, his savings dwindled to $120,000. Chris attempted to intervene, but Alfred was so convinced by the scammers that he disowned Chris and even filed a lawsuit against him when he tried to protect Alfred’s remaining funds. An elder care specialist mentioned that while Alfred remained mentally sharp, he lacked a sense of purpose, which made him vulnerable to the scam. Chris reflected, “There was nothing we could do to convince him… I believe they crafted stories that pulled on those heartstrings.”
Alfred passed away after complications from neck surgery following a fall in summer 2023.
Alexa Bliss has frequently been used as a false identity by scammers and has publicly warned others to be vigilant against such schemes.
