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A 73-year-old Nebraska woman lost $39,000 to a scammer impersonating Randy Owen, the lead singer of the band Alabama, prompting the local sheriff’s office to issue a warning about romance scams targeting older residents.
The woman was defrauded over a 10-month period, from Sept. 2025 to June 2026, after a scammer contacted her through messaging applications, Lancaster County Chief Deputy Ben Houchin said in an interview on Wednesday.
The victim used her Social Security checks to purchase gift cards, which she photographed and sent to the scammer.
Houchin said these scams have been prevalent for some time and that older individuals are frequently targeted because they are more likely to be familiar with the celebrities being impersonated.
He emphasized that legitimate celebrities will never request money in the form of gift cards.
“If you have relatives or something that you think are doing something like this, please step in,” Houchin said.
Owen has previously addressed the issue on his official Facebook page to protect fans from similar fraud.
In a post over two years ago warning about fake accounts using his name or the band’s name to solicit private messages or money, Owen wrote, “You will not be sent requests like that from this OFFICIAL Randy Owen Facebook page. Please just be aware and mindful of all of these scams & scammers that are out there.”
LCSO continues to urge residents to remain vigilant against unsolicited requests for money or personal information through social media and messaging platforms.
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