Fox News: Oklahoma woman charged with laundering $1.5M from elderly women in online romance scam

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Oklahoma woman charged with laundering $1.5M from elderly women in online romance scam

Officials said an Oklahoma woman was charged after she allegedly laundering nearly $1.5 million in funds obtained through online romance scams.......                    ...                        ...Charges have been filed against You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login who is being accused of laundering nearly $1.5 million in funds obtained through online romance scams, targeting elderly women. ......Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced that Christine Joan Echohawk, 53, was arrested Monday, and is accused of laundering money from You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login between Sept. 30, 2024, and Dec. 26, 2024. ......Officials said that all the victims were women between the ages of 64 and 79.......The victims believed they were sending money to a male subject whom they thought they were in an online relationship with, according to a news release from Drummond's office.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......Drummond noted that one woman even sold her house so that she could You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......"These types of scams that target seniors are especially egregious," Drummond said. "I applaud the work of my Consumer Protection Unit to fight for these victims and to hold accountable their alleged perpetrator."......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......The victims also sent Apple gift cards, cash and cashiers' checks as well as wired money to accounts owned by Echohawk at MidFirst Bank, according to the news release. ......Drummond's office was also alerted by the bank in January after it held a $120,000 transfer from one of the victims, suspecting senior fraud activity. ......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......Echohawk was confronted in January 2024 by law enforcement about suspected criminal activity, Drummond's office said, but allegedly continued to launder funds after a short hiatus.......Officials said Echohawk is believed to have been converting the funds into cryptocurrency and sending those payments to an unidentified suspect.......Echohawk was charged with unlawful use of criminal proceeds and using a computer to violate state statutes. She faces five counts that, together, carry 24 to 62 years in prison and up to $260,000 in fines.......Anyone is encouraged to report suspected fraud to Attorney General Gentner Drummond's Consumer Protection Unit at 833-681-1895 or consumerprotection@oag.ok.gov....

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