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Alleged Cancer Faker Charged With Bilking Man Out Of $34,000

WESTMINSTER, Colo. (CBS4) - A 49-year-old woman is facing felony charges after she allegedly convinced a man she met on a dating website that she was dying of cancer and bilked money from him.

Nahid Moshrefi, 49, of Monument, referred to herself as Venus on the dating site. She allegedly bilked the victim out of $34,000 after they met there and started a relationship in 2013.

The victim was described as being a 79-year-old from Westminster. Police first began investigating the case when an employee at his bank informed them he had been writing large checks made out to Venus and transferring money into her account.

Nahid Moshrefi
Nahid Moshrefi (credit: Jefferson County DA)

When police spoke with the victim, he said the money he was giving to Venus was supposed to be for cancer treatments and for her flights to visit relatives she wanted to see before her death. He told police he was convinced of her sickness because she demonstrated to him the pain she was going through. He said that without treatment Venus told him she would likely die in a matter of months.

The victim also allegedly gave Venus a car and altered his will to make her his sole beneficiary.

Authorities said Moshrefi is married and runs a holistic healing center in Colorado Springs called Holistic Healing Health. She refers to herself as Dr. Venus K. Moshrefi on the center's website.

Dr. Venus K. Moshrefi
"Dr. Venus K. Moshrefi," as seen on the website wholisticcenter.com (credit: CBS)

They said she admitted to investigators that she doesn't have cancer, and police said they haven't been able to determine if she is an actual licensed doctor.

Moshrefi was arrested in El Paso County on charges of theft of an at-risk elder and exploitation. She is set to appear in Jefferson County Court on Oct. 4.

Additional Resources

The following information was released by the Jefferson County District Attorney's office:

If anyone has additional information regarding this case they should call DA Investigator Jessica Beren at 303-271-6846.

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