An American Airlines flight attendant accused of defrauding a 75-year-old Florida woman allegedly used her employee travel privileges to reach the woman’s home. A relative later found handwritten instructions inside the home linking Blake to the woman’s credit-card account, investigators said.
Destiny Renee Blake, 24, of Brooklyn, New York, was arrested at Miami International Airport on October 23, 2026, after arriving on an international flight. Flagler County detectives allege that the Palm Coast woman lost approximately $25,310 through a gift card, cash, money transfers and credit card purchases.
The alleged scheme began with a caller claiming to represent Publishers Clearing House and telling the woman she had won a prize. The woman subsequently lost access to her email account and experienced disputed financial transactions, according to investigators.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office announced Blake’s arrest on October 27. Court records identify three pending felony charges in case 2026 CF 000910 and schedule her arraignment for November 24.
Fake Sweepstakes Call Led to a Gift Card and Thousands in Payments
On November 13 or 14, 2025, the woman received a call from an unidentified person claiming she had won a Publishers Clearing House prize. To collect the supposed winnings, the caller told her to mail a $500 gift card to Blake at a Brooklyn address, according to selected pages of the sworn complaint.
During the same period, the woman lost access to her email. Investigators said its password had been changed and a similar-looking email address created without her permission. A family member helped her report the suspected fraud to the sheriff’s office in December 2025.
The sworn complaint lists cash withdrawals on November 15, 17, 18 and 19, as well as a $20 Zelle payment. Detectives attributed $14,220 in cash and Zelle payments to Blake as part of the alleged scheme.
Flight Attendant Used Standby Benefits to Visit the Woman’s Home
On November 18, 2025, investigators say Blake traveled from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport through Charlotte to Daytona Beach using her American Airlines flight attendant benefits. She flew as a standby passenger and used Uber rides to reach a Palm Coast hotel on State Road 100.
The following morning, an Uber dropped her at the woman’s residence at 10:53 a.m. Another driver picked her up at 11:08 a.m. and returned her to Daytona Beach International Airport. Blake then flew through Charlotte to New York, investigators said.
According to the sworn complaint, the woman could not later remember meeting Blake or withdrawing money. Investigators documented that she had told a sister shortly after the alleged visit that she met someone to make a payment. Detectives also identified purchases using the woman’s credit account at the Daytona Beach and Charlotte airports during the return trip.
Family Found a Note Saying Blake Was the Woman’s Granddaughter
The note found inside the woman’s home told her to call the card company and say Blake was her granddaughter and had permission to use the account. It also said Blake needed a card immediately, according to the sworn complaint.
Detectives determined that Blake had been issued her own Apple Card as an authorized user of the woman’s account. According to the complaint, investigators also matched payment cards belonging to the woman with Uber accounts associated with Blake and transactions made through those accounts.
Eighty-Eight Disputed Charges Included an eBay Order to Brooklyn
The sworn complaint lists 88 disputed credit card transactions totaling $10,590.30 between November 16 and December 11, 2025. Purchases included $1,523.16 in Apple products, a $1,012.49 T-Mobile web order, a $272.19 UGG purchase, and spending on transportation, clothing and food, according to News4JAX’s affidavit reporting.
One eBay transaction for $1,740.91 was shipped to a Brooklyn address associated with Blake. Investigators obtained records tying the order to her name and contact information. They also traced purchases and Uber trips through account records and cellphone location data.
Detectives examined surveillance from a Bath & Body Works store and a C-Town supermarket in New York. The complaint says investigators compared the supermarket footage with Blake’s New York identification photograph and described the result as similar. It also records an Uber transaction in Jamaican dollars after Blake traveled to Kingston for work.
Three Felony Charges Filed; Arraignment Set for November 24
Flagler County investigators obtained an arrest warrant on October 13, 2026, with bond set at $30,000. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested Blake late October 23 at Miami International Airport. She was taken to the Miami-Dade County jail and later released on a $30,000 bond, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Flagler County criminal docket lists organized scheme to defraud involving more than $20,000, fraudulent use of identifying information belonging to a person older than 60, and grand theft exceeding $20,000. Detectives calculated the alleged loss as $14,220 in cash and Zelle payments, $10,590.30 in credit card transactions and the $500 gift card, totaling $25,310.30.
A court-issued notice to appear schedules Blake’s arraignment before Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols on November 24 at 8:30 a.m. in Flagler County. Blake is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
What to Do When a Prize Claim Leads to Account Takeover
The Federal Trade Commission warns that legitimate sweepstakes do not require winners to pay fees or send gift cards to collect prizes. An unexpected prize claim should be checked using contact details obtained independently from the company, not information supplied by the caller.
Someone who loses access to an email account or discovers an unfamiliar authorized user on a credit card should contact the email provider and card issuer promptly. Resetting account credentials, enabling multifactor authentication and disputing unauthorized purchases can help stop additional losses.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office publishes guidance on protecting older adults’ phones, computers and financial accounts. Suspected financial exploitation can be reported to Florida’s Abuse Hotline at 1-800-962-2873. People who believe they had similar financial dealings with Blake can contact the sheriff’s office at 386-313-4911.