A Salina woman realized she was scammed after a false promise that was made two and a half years ago.

Police Captain Jim Feldman tells KSAL News on Thursday, March 6th a 69-year old female reported she was a victim of fraud. Allegedly, the woman communicated online with a male back in May, 2022. He claimed he was the singer, Michael Bolton and another man called to “confirm” the claim by stating “he was his manager.”

The victim was persuaded to send donations for charities. She then sent an amount of money by purchasing gift cards and providing the suspects with the gift card numbers.

Police said the suspect who stated he was “Michael Bolton,” promised he would meet and take the woman back to his hometown in Connecticut. However, this never happened.

Total loss could not be determined, but authorities believe it is around $10,000.

Note from the Salina Police Department:

“The Salina Police Department wants to remind citizens to be weary of people they meet on-line and who ask for money. Legitimate business opportunities, government agencies, charity organizations DO NOT ask for gift cards. Anytime someone asks for money, especially in the form of a gift card, this should be an immediate red flag. Please remember if a situation sounds too good to be true it probably is too good to be true. We recommend doing research before even considering sending any form of money. If there is even the smallest concern of the validity of a situation we ask for people to reach out to their local law enforcement agency, banks, a relative or friend prior to sending any money online.”