Two South Florida women are facing charges after authorities said they posed as bank representatives in an “elaborate spoof” scheme that bilked a victim out of over $23,000 last year.
Read more Miami mom arrested for leaving 2-year-old at home alone, cops say
Shirley Jerome, 43, and Tracy Jerome, 31, were arrested Tuesday on charges including grand theft, organized fraud, and unlawful use of a communications device, arrest reports said.
According to the reports, the two women targeted the victim through the call and text scheme to take over her Wells Fargo account in May of 2025.
The suspects “disguised themselves as legitimate financial institution representatives” to convince the victim her account was being compromised by fraudulent activity, the reports said.
Read more Authorities warn fans from buying counterfeit World Cup jerseys in South Florida
During the scheme, the pair successfully wired $23,879.98 from the victim’s account into a Navy Federal Credit Union account owned by Shirley Jerome, then dispersed the money through separate transactions, the reports said.
In addition to ATM withdrawals, the suspects used a portion of the money to pay Florida Power & Light, T-Mobile and Miami-Dade County, authorities said.
Read more Cyclosporiasis cases in Florida, U.S. could be undercounted, experts say
Both women were booked into jail.