WWE Superstar Alexa Bliss' likeness was used in a lucrative scam ... with a 79-year-old man draining his retirement savings and some of his granddaughter's college fund after he was led to believe he developed a romantic relationship with the wrestler online.
The shocking story was laid out in a New York Times article this week ... when a man named Chris Mancinelli revealed his father, Alfred, was convinced he was interacting with the real 33-year-old Bliss.
Mancinelli explained Alfred had a history of dealing with scammers ... as he "opened his heart" to them, allowing for him to be manipulated with sob stories.
Mancinelli said his father's dealing with fakes got worse during the pandemic ... and by 2021, his $900K nest egg was decreased to $128K, and he believes the majority of that went to a Bliss imposter.
According to the report, Alfred's conversations with "Alexa" included claims of Vince McMahon humiliating her after refusing his advances ... and hospitalizations due to menstrual periods.
While the imposter never communicated via audio or video, "Alexa" asked Alfred to help pay for expenses, and he obliged.
Mancinelli said he tried to intervene before Alfred's savings reached zero by transferring his last $100K into another account ... which resulted in a lawsuit. He eventually returned the money ... and a month later, Alfred's remaining savings had vanished.
Mancinelli believes if Alfred hadn't passed away following a post-fall neck surgery, he would have continued to find a way to help out the fake Bliss.
It's unfortunately a common practice among criminals -- using beloved celebrities to dupe people into shelling out their hard-earned dough happens all the time ... but Mancinelli's story shows just how far it can go.