Two congirls charged in ‘callous’ romance scam that duped over a dozen elderly men of $7M: feds
Two “callous” congirls duped at least 16 lonely old men out of more than $7 million in a long-running romance scam, Manhattan federal prosecutors said.
Rosanna Lisa Stanley and Gina Guy reeled in the “elderly” marks with tall tales about kidney and liver transplants and paid the grifters big bucks for bogus business investments, prosecutors alleged.
The romance scam ran from at least 2009 until this year when they were arrested last month, authorities said.
The heartbreakers hooked their victims through “in-person meetings, phone calls, text messages, and an online dating platform,” according to court documents.
One sucker handed Stanley, 48, more than $1 million after the fake fortune teller told her victim his money was “tainted with bad influences” — and she would return it clean, authorities contended.
The victim wired money transfers and issued checks to Stanley’s purported astrology business in Manhattan from 2009 through 2020, while she promised she could help him “reach his desired life,” prosecutors said.
Another victim, who fell for Stanley during a February 2023 meeting in Manhattan, believed he was in an “exclusive, romantic relationship” with her, court records showed.
The swooning senior ended up paying Stanley’s rent and living expenses and at her request, turned over his online banking credentials for a particular credit card and gave her the card.
Stanley allegedly changed the victim’s password, refused to share it with him and then ran up “thousands of dollars in expenses,” court papers show. She also conned the victim into ponying up money for a bogus Florida catering business, the feds said.
Stanley soaked the senior for at least $555,000 in all, using $220,000 of the funds to pay off loans on a boat and luxury car, according to court documents which did not reveal details of the vehicles.
Guy, 37, allegedly scammed at least four men out of more than $900,000 by tugging their heartstrings. In multiple instances she claimed to need money for kidney transplants, prosecutors said.
Stanley, who has addresses on the Upper East Side, New Jersey and Florida, according to public records, was arrested June 25 in Miami Beach. Guy was collared that same day in the Big Apple, the Manhattan federal court filing says. Both women are charged with money laundering, wire fraud and conspiracy.
The women were released on $250,000 bond each. The case is pending.
“Rosanna Lisa Stanley and Gina Guy callously defrauded elderly victims who were simply looking for companionship. They allegedly used the millions of dollars in fraud proceeds to lead lives of luxury at their victims’ expense,” US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said in a statement.
