A 24-year-old American Airlines flight attendant has been arrested for allegedly defrauding a 75-year-old woman of about $25,000.
The suspect, Destiny Blake from Brooklyn, New York, was picked up by US Customs and Border Protection officers at Miami International Airport last Friday on a warrant issued by Flagler County, Florida.
According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, Blake targeted the woman in Palm Coast through a sweepstakes scam that began in November 2025.
Investigators said the victim received a call from someone posing as Publishers Clearing House, who told her she had won a prize but needed to mail a $500 gift card to Blake’s address in Brooklyn to claim it.
Around the same time, the woman lost access to her email after the password was changed and a look-alike account was created without her knowledge.
Between November 15 and 19, the victim withdrew about $14,000 from her accounts, while Blake allegedly received $14,220 in cash and Zelle transfers.
Police said Blake used her staff travel benefits to fly standby from New York to Daytona Beach on November 18, then took an Uber to Palm Coast. The next morning, she visited the victim’s home for about 15 minutes before returning to the airport.
Detectives allege she obtained the woman’s credit card details during the visit and added herself as an authorized user, getting her own Apple Card. A total of 88 transactions worth over $10,590 were later made, including Apple products and international travel.
A handwritten note was later found in the victim’s home instructing her to tell her bank that Blake was her granddaughter.
Blake was charged with organized scheme to defraud a person 65 or older, fraudulent use of ID of a person 60 or older, and grand theft. She was released on a $30,000 bond.
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