A Florida woman has admitted conspiring to launder millions of dollars from Americans in a far-reaching romance fraud.
According to court documents, Cristine Petitfrere, 30, of Miramar, used bank accounts to receive proceeds from romance scams.
Once she had received the money, she kept a portion before sending the rest to her to her co-conspirator overseas. She laundered over $2.7 million and earned hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees.
What is a romance scam?
The scams involve fraudsters creating fake online personas to gain the trust and affection of victims. This ultimately leading to financial exploitation.
They cause misery to their victims, many of whom are elderly.
Federal Trade Commission data shows $1.14 billion to romance scams in 2023.
Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career
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.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division said:
“Romance scams cause not only significant losses but also profound emotional harm to countless individuals.
“This prosecution underscores the department’s efforts to dismantle the criminal networks that engage in these sophisticated financial schemes to exploit vulnerable Americans.”
Sentencing
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. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Matthew Robinson and Lauren M. Elfner of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case.
