WWE Superstar Alexa Bliss' likeness was used in a lucrative scam ... with a 79-year-old man draining his retirement savings and some of his granddaughter's college fund after he was led to believe he developed a romantic relationship with the wrestler online.
The shocking story was laid out in a New York Times article this week ... when a man named Chris Mancinelli revealed his father, Alfred, was convinced he was interacting with the real 33-year-old Bliss.
Mancinelli explained Alfred had a history of dealing with scammers .