A 26-year-old woman from Texas has reportedly been sentenced to five years behind bars for masterminding a sophisticated banking scheme that stole nearly $50,000 from an elderly couple.
According to a recent report by Fox 5 Atlanta, Audrey Michelle Townsend pleaded guilty to theft and four counts of elder abuse and was sentenced to 20 years, 5 in prison and 15 on probation.
-->Authorities say that in February 2024, Townsend sent a text to her victim, Gloria Moss, claiming to be a representative of Chase Bank, alerting her of potential fraud linked to her account.
When Moss called the number, she provided private information to “verify” her account, which led to $49,000 of her and her husband’s funds being transferred to another account in Texas that belonged to Townsend.
However, when Moss reported the incident to Chase, the bank told her that they could not do anything since the transfers were authorized. Moss then went to the district attorney’s office and the media to spread her story. Chase returned the money in July 2024.
As stated by Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson,
“Unscrupulous people like this defendant are looking to take advantage of vulnerable members of our community. This can happen to any of us, but it is especially egregious that she targeted a senior couple…
We advise everyone to be vigilant when they receive contact from familiar and unfamiliar sources regarding important matters like their finances and other personal information.”
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