Flight attendant accused of using travel benefits to defraud Florida woman in sweepstakes scam

A New York woman was arrested this month on accusations that she used her benefits as an American Airlines flight attendant to fly to a Florida woman's home and defraud her of $25,000 in what began as a sweepstakes scam, officials said.

Destiny Blake, 24, of Brooklyn, New York, was arrested Friday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on a Flagler County warrant as she arrived at Miami International Airport on an international flight, sheriff's officials said.

“Most flight attendants use their benefits to see the world. Blake used hers to further a scam against a senior resident, live a lavish lifestyle using stolen bank cards and thinking she could get away with it,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “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.”

It started in November 2025 when the victim, who is 75 years old, received a call from someone claiming to be with the Publishers Clearing House, officials said. The caller told her that she won and that, in order to collect her "winnings," she must mail a $500 gift card to a "Destiny Blake" in Brooklyn.

The victim did what she was instructed, officials said, and in the process was locked out of her own email account and withdrew more than $14,000 for cash and Zelle payments to Blake.

Blake later flew to Daytona Beach, where she traveled to the victim's home in Palm Coast, where a note was found with instructions to call the card company to tell them Blake was her granddaughter and that she was authorized to use her card, officials said.

Throughout the scheme, Blake spent over $10,500 on the victim's credit cards in purchases that included Apple, eBay, T-Mobile and Ugg products, as well as on Uber and Uber Eats. Officials said Blake also used her own name, email address and phone number to make the fraudulent purchases.

The victim lost approximately $25,310, officials said.

Blake faces charges of organized scheme to defraud over $20,000 from a victim 65 or older, fraudulent use of personal identification information of a person 60 or older, and grand theft over $20,000.

She was booked into Miami-Dade County jail and was later released on a $30,000 bond.