Pennsylvania man, 64, reportedly defrauded of $42,700 by person impersonating Rhea Ripley
A 64-year-old man in Pennsylvania was reportedly defrauded of $42,700 in March by someone posing as WWE star Rhea Ripley, Pennsylvania State Police in Kittanning said after the case was reported by WPXI-TV. No arrests have been made in connection with the matter.
Pennsylvania State Police in Kittanning released information about the case following the WPXI-TV report but have not provided details on how the fraud was carried out. A public information officer told authorities the victim refused to cooperate with the investigation. The police statement said Ripley had no involvement in the incident and that her name and identity were allegedly used without her knowledge.
The department has not disclosed the nature of communications between the victim and the impersonator or whether the person who posed as Ripley acted alone or with others. The absence of cooperation from the victim has been cited by the public information officer as a factor in the progress of the inquiry. With those investigatory details withheld, officials have so far been unable to make arrests.
The report noted that the alleged fraud occurred in March and centred on the impersonation of Ripley, who is identified in the statement as a former Women’s World Champion with no connection to the scheme. Police reiterated that Ripley was not involved and that her identity was used without her consent. Authorities have not released further specifics about the alleged transactions or methods used to obtain the $42,700.
The news item referenced a 2024 case in which 79-year-old Alfred Mancinelli lost roughly $1 million in savings after multiple online scams. One of those scams involved someone posing as WWE star Alexa Bliss, and Mancinelli reportedly believed he was in a relationship with Bliss. According to the report, Mancinelli ultimately used both his retirement savings and his granddaughter’s college fund during that series of scams.
The Pennsylvania incident was described in the report as another example of scammers exploiting the identities of public figures to gain victims’ trust. Authorities have not provided additional information about the alleged scheme involving Ripley’s identity, and the investigation remains without arrests at this time.
No arrests have been announced; for further updates the original report directs readers to follow Khel Now Wrestling on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App, or join its community on Telegram and Whatsapp.