PALM COAST, Fla. — A 24-year-old American Airlines flight attendant from Brooklyn, New York, was arrested at Miami International Airport after Flagler County detectives linked her to a sweepstakes scam that cost a 75-year-old Palm Coast woman more than $25,000.
Destiny Blake, 24, was taken into custody late Friday, October 23, 2026, by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers as she arrived in Miami on an international flight.
According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, Blake used her employee travel benefits to fly from New York to Florida, visit the elderly victim’s home and return to New York while making purchases using the woman’s financial accounts.
Blake faces charges of organized scheme to defraud involving more than $20,000 from a victim 65 or older, fraudulent use of personal identification information belonging to a person 60 or older, and grand theft over $20,000.
Scam Began With Fake Publishers Clearing House Phone Call
The investigation began with a phone call the victim received in November 2025 from someone claiming to represent Publishers Clearing House.
The caller told the woman she had won a sweepstakes prize but needed to send a $500 gift card to claim her winnings.
Following those instructions, the woman mailed the gift card to Destiny Blake at an address in Brooklyn.
Around the same time, the victim lost access to her email account. Investigators said the password had been changed and the account switched to a look-alike email address she had never created.
Between November 15 and November 19, 2025, the woman withdrew more than $14,000 from her bank account. Detectives determined Blake received $14,220 through cash and Zelle payments.
Flight Attendant Used Travel Benefits to Visit Victim’s Home
On November 18, 2025, Blake flew from New York to Daytona Beach as a standby passenger using her American Airlines flight attendant travel benefits.
She then took an Uber to a hotel on State Road 100 in Palm Coast.
The following morning, an Uber dropped Blake off at the 75-year-old woman’s home shortly before 11 a.m.
Approximately 15 minutes later, another Uber picked her up and transported her back to Daytona Beach International Airport.
Investigators discovered that purchases were made using the victim’s credit card at the Daytona Beach and Charlotte airports before Blake returned home.
Detectives also learned that Blake had been issued an Apple Card as an authorized user on the victim’s account.
A family member later discovered a handwritten note inside the woman’s home instructing her to contact the credit card company and identify Blake as her granddaughter, claiming she had permission to use the account.
Detectives Trace 88 Credit Card Charges to Suspect
Between November 16 and December 11, 2025, investigators identified 88 charges totaling $10,590.30 on the victim’s credit cards.
The transactions included a $1,740.91 eBay purchase shipped to Blake’s Brooklyn address, $1,523.16 in Apple products and more than $1,300 in purchases involving T-Mobile, Ugg and a Brooklyn hair salon.
Investigators also documented numerous Uber rides and Uber Eats orders.
One Uber trip was paid in Jamaican dollars in Kingston, Jamaica, two days after Blake traveled there while working for American Airlines.
According to detectives, the online purchases were made using Blake’s own name, email address and phone number.
Investigators also obtained surveillance footage showing Blake using the victim’s credit card at a supermarket in Queens, New York.
Cellphone location evidence placed Blake’s phone near stores on the dates when the fraudulent transactions occurred, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The total financial loss to the Palm Coast woman was estimated at $25,310.
Arrest Warrant Issued After Months-Long Investigation
Flagler County detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Blake on October 13, 2026.
Ten days later, Customs and Border Protection officers arrested her when she arrived at Miami International Airport.
Blake was transported to the Miami-Dade County jail and later released on a $30,000 bond.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly criticized the alleged use of airline employee benefits to carry out the scheme.
“Most flight attendants use their benefits to see the world. Blake used her’s to further a scam against a senior resident, live a lavish lifestyle using stolen bank cards and thinking she could get away with it,” Staly said.
“Her wings were clipped by our detectives and with the help of CPB she was arrested. Her next trip? Flagler County to be held accountable for her crimes.”
Authorities Encourage Other Potential Victims to Come Forward
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who believes they were targeted in a similar scam or had financial dealings with Blake to contact investigators at 386-313-4911.
The Sheriff’s Office also provides guidance for families seeking to protect older adults from financial exploitation, including steps to secure email accounts, phones, computers and banking information. Those resources are available at flaglersheriff.com/senior-safety.
Suspected financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult can be reported to the Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-962-2873, which operates 24 hours a day.
The U.S. Department of Justice also operates the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311.