Claremore Woman Warns Of Tinder Scam Artist

A Claremore nurse has a warning for other women who are dating online, after she says a man stole $1,000 from her, and she's afraid he's doing it to others.  

Kelsey met a man through the website Tinder in the fall and they started hanging out.

"He told me he was a professor at OSU, Tulsa. He told me he got shot in the Army and has a purple heart," Kelsey said. 

She says he told her he lost his wallet and needed to borrow money for gas, so she let him borrow her debit card.

"I'm a good person, so $20 here or there is not a big deal," she said. 

But then she noticed a $200 withdrawal from her account. 

"I texted him and said, did you withdraw $200? He said I did, is that okay? I said not really, are you going to pay me back and he said, yeah, yeah, I'll pay you back. Okay," said Kelsey, a theft victim.

She noticed a $300 withdrawal, but once again he promised to pay her back any day.

Then she says he took her cards from her purse without her permission and took out another $500 right around Christmas.

"I'm having to borrow from family to pay my bills, my rent," she said.

 Police told her it was a civil issue so she posted a warning on Facebook. Other women contacted her with similar stories.

She began checking and realized nearly everything he told her was a lie, which he admitted to me.
He told me Kelsey gave him permission for the two withdrawals, but not for the final $500.

Lori: "Why lie and and say you're  professor and have a Purple Heart, just to get chicks to dig you sort of thing?"
Man: "Yes, ma'am, honestly."
Lori: "You're going to pay her back the $500?"
Man: "Yes, ma'am."
Lori: "When?"
Man: "I can do it today."
Lori: "Before 5 o'clock?"
Man: "Yes, ma'am."

Kelsey recommends everyone do a Google and criminal history search on anyone they meet online.

"I've grown up in a good family, and I never had a reason not to trust somebody. It's really sad it just takes that one person to rip that trust away and steal it," Kelsey said. 

I just talked to Kelsey and the man did not pay her back the $500 like he promised me he would. We also learned he has a criminal history and a current warrant out for his arrest, but we did not air his name or picture, since he is not charged in this case.