A Woman’s Inheritance Scam

After Helen Lurene Elias told her friends she received an inheritance but needed help in paying off the estate’s tax and liens, she scammed them out of $300,00.  According to prosecutors, Helen promised her friends big returns in exchange for their loans and used her ruse to get between $3,000 and $105,000 from at least ten people.

When victims asked Helen for their money back, she told them she needed more money to pay additional expenses.  “If they did not have more money, she urged them to reach out to family and friends for financial assistance so the encumbrances could be lifted and everyone could be paid.”  Helen even signed IOUs promising repayment.  Helen was arraigned Monday on fraud and grand larceny.

See Josh Saul, Woman Busted in $300K Inheritance Scam: DA, New York Post, Apr. 14, 2015.

Special thanks to Brian Cohan (Attorney at Law, Law Offices of Brian J. Cohan, P.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.