tl;dr
Operation Teller-to-Telegram led to the arrest of eight individuals involved in an $8.8 million bank fraud scheme targeting the elderly. Three Maryland bank employees allegedly sold senior customers' account information via Telegram, enabling conspirators to steal savings and transfer funds to new a...
Operation Teller-to-Telegram, a multi-state, multi-million dollar investigation, culminated in the arrest of several individuals involved in a bank fraud scheme targeting the elderly. The Florida Attorney General's office reported that eight people connected to an $8.8 million fraud ring now face RICO charges, criminal use of personal information, and other serious felonies.
The scheme involved three Maryland bank employees—Barbara Frazee, Camala Shafer, and Antonio Penn—who allegedly sold and shared senior customers’ account information via the encrypted messaging app Telegram. Using victims' personal details such as names, birthdates, Social Security numbers, and bank accounts, the conspirators allegedly drained savings and transferred stolen funds to newly opened accounts.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd emphasized the gravity of the operation, stating, “This wasn’t some small-time scam, this was a well-organized fraud ring stealing millions from innocent victims across the country. They thought they could hide behind mobile apps and fake accounts, but we found them, and we’ll continue to go after anyone who targets hardworking people’s life savings. Racketeering is a serious crime, and we will pursue as many felonies as possible against each one of these suspects.”
The accused individuals include bank employees Frazee, Shafer, and Penn, along with co-conspirators Okeroghene Akushe, Michael Nevarez, Roshado Durrant, Hassan Phillips, and Kevin Clayton, all facing multiple felony charges related to this extensive fraud ring.