Fake Heiress Admits Scamming Local Victims

A North Carolina woman admitted in a Philadelphia court that she posed as an heiress to swindle almost 150 people out of a total of $1.7 million.

On Tuesday, 67-year-old Bari Lynn Berger confirmed in federal court that she posed as the illegitimate daughter of a dead fictitious billionaire to scam 148 people -- 40 of them local, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.

Authorities say the Durham woman told victims her fabricated father's will required her to become financially stable and receive medical treatment to earn her $2 billion payout.

Most of Berger’s victims were retired or elderly and investigators say Berger promised amounts ranging from $100 to $1,000 for every dollar her victims contributed.

Court documents say Berger used the money to buy items including jewelry, an RV and motorcycles.

But Berger did not work alone.

Back in July, Berger’s long-time friend Gerald W. Radomski, 54, told a federal court that he helped plot the fake heiress scheme, reports the Daily News.

He pleaded guilty to wire and mail fraud, claiming that he kept about $300,000 -- which was deposited into his bank accounts -- and that the rest of the money was sent via courier or wired to Berger, says the paper.
 
Berger pleaded not guilty in July to the same counts.