South Carolina man charged with New Lenox theft over dating app scam

A South Carolina man has been charged with stealing $1,240 from a New Lenox man who was the victim of a scam used in an online dating service called Plenty of Fish.

A warrant was issued on Tuesday for the arrest of Victor Nesmith, 34, of Columbia, South Carolina, on a felony charge of theft.

Nesmith is accused of stealing money from a New Lenox man on Nov. 27, 2024.

The man told officers he was communicating with someone he believed was a 24-year-old woman from Indiana through Plenty of Fish, according to the New Lenox Police Department.

But the man was later contacted by another man who claimed he was the woman’s father, police said.

The purported father claimed the woman was a minor and demanded money or else he would report him to law enforcement, police said.

The New Lenox man sent $1,152 through Apple Pay and then $87 through Zelle, following the purported father’s instructions, police said.

The man received messages from people claiming they were the woman’s parents and officers with a police department in Indiana in an attempt to “extort additional funds” from the man, police said.

“New Lenox detectives were able to obtain bank documents to determine the funds were received by Nesmith. Nesmith admitted to receiving the funds but stated he was acting an another’s behalf and sent the money to another person,” police said.

The bank evidence “did not match Nesmith’s statements,” police said.