‘I now realize I was foolish’: Widow of early Roblox programmer allegedly defrauded out of $6 million trying to buy out a man from his escort contract

Marianne Flippo, a widow, claims she was defrauded out of $6 million by an escort named Gregg Starr. Flippo had paid Starr $635,000 for eight months of companionship before he allegedly told her she needed to pay $10 million to buy him out of his contract. Flippo, who suffers from a rare genetic disorder called vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, was reportedly vulnerable to drugs and alcohol, making her susceptible to Starr's manipulations.

The lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court alleges that Starr built Flippo's trust before defrauding her. During a trip to visit Starr's mother, agency employees showed up unannounced and pressured Flippo to drink at lunch, despite knowing she was on medication. They then presented her with an "Exit Agreement" demanding $10 million to terminate the arrangement.

Flippo allegedly tried to wire the money twice, but both attempts were flagged as fraud. She then transferred $5.95 million into a joint account with Starr, after which he allegedly moved $5.7 million into his own account within weeks. Flippo's illness and medications may have contributed to her vulnerability in this scheme.