Winning the lottery or a sweepstakes would normally be the highlight of a person’s year.
But, everything that glitters is not always gold.
And an elderly Florida woman thought she won a big jackpot, but it became a terrible nightmare.
Florida woman scammed out of her life savings in a fake Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes
Criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated with the scams that they try to pull.
Florida is a hotbed for scams because of the state’s large elderly population.
An 85-year-old woman from Daytona Beach Shores, Florida, was hoodwinked into thinking she had won a $1 million prize from the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes.
But it was a “scumbag scam artist” from New York at work.
Shania Baptiste, a 25-year-old, and two associates tricked the elderly Florida woman into turning over her life savings.
They told the woman that she had to pay taxes and fees before she could claim the prize.
Baptiste instructed the elderly woman to go to a bank and wire her the money.
The elderly woman tried to wire $20,000 to Baptiste, but the tellers stopped her and said that she was being scammed.
Baptiste talked the woman into going to another bank and instructed her to inform the tellers the money was going to New York to help a family member out with home repairs.
The 85-year-old woman successfully wired $20,000 into Baptiste’s bank account.
Not content, Baptiste talked the woman into wiring another $15,000 into her account.
New York scammer is caught and extradited to Florida
The Florida woman eventually realized that she had been scammed and went to the authorities.
Law enforcement traced the scam back to Baptiste and froze her bank account.
Volusia County, Florida, Sheriff Mike Chitwood worked with the New York Police Department to track down Baptiste and her accomplice, Neilson Brooks, and have them arrested.
Baptiste and Brooks were charged in Florida with grand theft of over $20,000 and running an organized scheme with the intent to defraud.
Sheriff Chitwood greeted the perpetrator at the Daytona Beach Airport after she was extradited to Florida.
“Shania, I am Sheriff Chitwood, and I want to let you know that we protect our seniors in this community,” Chitwood said. “That’s why you’re here. I hope and pray there’s a special place in hell for you and Nielson Brooks for what you did to an 85-year-old woman and stealing her life’s savings. And I hope you enjoy your stay here. Welcome to Florida.”
The authorities were able to recover $20,000 of the woman’s money and hope to be able to get the rest back after the legal process plays out.
Sheriff Chitwood warned this was not the duo’s only victim.
“This is the tip of the iceberg with these two. NYPD crimes, I can’t thank them enough for all their help. But this is bigger than this,” Chitwood explained.
Chitwood said that Volusia County has become a hotbed for scammers because of the area’s large elderly population.
“If we track you down in the continental United States, your a** is coming back here and let everybody see what a scumbag you really are and the way you’re dealing with the elderly in our communities,” Chitwood warned scammers.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
