Florida Woman Launders Millions in Romance Scam Conspiracy

Cover photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo by celiaosk | iStock

​Officials with the United States Department of Justice's (DOJ) Office of Public Affairs have announced the sentencing of a 30-year-old Florida woman who laundered millions of dollars in connection with a romance scam that defrauded many American victims over approximately 5 years.

Cristine Petitfrere of Miramar, Florida was sentenced to 30 months in prison on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, for her role in the romance scams after admitting to laundering over $2.7 million in criminally obtained proceeds.

According to court documents, between approximately December 2019 and continuing through August 2023, Petitfrere knowingly participated in the conspiracy to commit money laundering; her role was to supply bank accounts for the romance scam victims to send their money to, then transfer the fraudulent proceeds to a co-conspirator in exchange for a fee that she kept for her personal gain.

Romance scams typically target vulnerable and unsuspecting individuals, many of whom are seeking companionship online via dating apps such as Facebook Dating, Tinder, Plenty of Fish, and Bumble. Fraudsters create fake personas to build relationships with the victims. The fraudsters then convince their victims to send money, often under false pretenses, such as emergencies or investments. These schemes not only cause significant financial losses but also deeply impact the lives of victims.

Petitfrere's co-conspirators handled the flirting with and establishing of relationships online with their unsuspecting victims; one such profile controlled by a fraudster was monikered as "Jackie Turpin." Once their hooks were dug into the romantic interest, the co-conspirators would manipulate and convince their digital lovers to send money to help their new boo —giving the victims Petitfrere's bank account and routing information to which they would send the funds.

Court documents show that banks notified Petitfrere on multiple occasions that they suspected fraudulent activity on her accounts, including transactions from victims and to her co-conspirators; at least 12 of her accounts were shuttered after alerts of suspected fraudulent activity. Still, the now 30-year-old continued to open new accounts in order to keep facilitating the transfers.

Petitfrere knowingly lied to banks about her relationship with one co-conspirator and the nature of the fund transfers at the direction of her partner in crime. One such example started on January 11, 2021, when Petitfrere opened a Citibank account ending in 3372 as the sole signatory.

On April 30, 2021, the account received a wire transfer from a victim, whose identity has been concealed under initials T.E; T.E. believed he was sending money to benefit his love interest, only to find out later that his $303,500 transfer was going to a fraudster controlling the "Jackie Turpin" account.

A follow-up transaction on May 5, 2021, in which Petitfrere wired $288,450 of the $303,500 to a co-conspirator while keeping $15,050 in the account, raised alarms at a CitiBank branch located in Miami. When they contacted Petitfrere about her receiving wires from the victim and transfering to the co-conspirator, Petitfrere falsely told the bank that T.E. was her partner in a business of building homes for the needy in Africa, and that the co-conspirator was her brother.

During her time participating in the conspiracy, Petitfrere laundered a minimum total of $2,716,850.83. Of the laundered funds, she received approximately $203,815.59 in fees, in which she has been ordered to forfeit as a part of her January 7, 2025, guilty verdict.

“Romance scams are a growing threat to Americans, particularly to the elderly and vulnerable,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to vigorously pursue those who help facilitate these criminal enterprises, whether they work on the frontlines of deception or behind the scenes.”

The case was investigated by the FBI Miami Field Office, with trial attorneys Matthew A Robinson and Lauren M Elfner of the Civil Division's Consumer Protection Branch as case prosecutors.

The DOJ urges Americans who have either been on the receiving end of a romance scam or know someone 60 or older who has experienced financial fraud to contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311. The hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps.

Reporting these crimes, even if you feel embarrassed, can help authorities identify those who commit fraud, and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering the lost funds. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10 am to 6 pm Eastern Standard Time, with English, Spanish, and other language accommodations offered as needed.

For more information about the DOJ's efforts to help American seniors visit its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.

Elder fraud complaints may also be filed with the Federal Trade Commission at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or by phone at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.

Article by Rachael Volpe