Florida Woman Pleads Guilty in $2.7 Million Fraud Scheme Involving Arizona Victim

A Florida woman has pleaded guilty to orchestrating a $2.7 million fraud scheme that targeted an Arizona victim.Photo byAlex BoydonUnsplash

A 30-year-old Florida woman pleaded guilty today to conspiring to launder millions of dollars from American fraud victims to a co-conspirator abroad, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

According to court documents, Cristine Petitfrere, 30, who operated an LLC called GlamGoddessArtistry, wired over $2.7 millions of victims' money to an unnamed co-conspirator in Ghana in exchange for a share of the funds, totaling "hundreds of thousands of dollars."

After receiving money from victims of the scams, Petitfrere kept a portion as a fee and funneled the remainder to her co-conspirator overseas.

“Romance scams cause not only significant losses but also profound emotional harm to countless individuals,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.

“This prosecution underscores the department’s efforts to dismantle the criminal networks that engage in these sophisticated financial schemes to exploit vulnerable Americans.”

The victims, seniors in their late 60s and early 70s, lived in Arizona, Indiana and Virginia, according to court documents.

Romance scams involve fraudsters creating fake online personas to gain the trust and affection of victims, ultimately leading to financial exploitation, according to the DOJ.

These schemes not only cause significant financial losses, but also deeply impact the lives of victims, many of whom are elderly. Americans lost $1.14 billion to romance scams in 2023, according to Federal Trade Commission data.

Petitfrere is scheduled to be sentenced in the Southern District of Florida on Dec. 11. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).