The ex New York beauty queen who fell victim to a Zelle scam
The former Miss New York, Briana Siaca, recently shared her story of being scammed out of $2,000 by a pair of con artists running a Zelle scam. Despite facing ridicule for her experience, she has helped the police identify the suspects involved.
Siaca, 30, visited the NYPD’s 13th Precinct to confirm the identity of the two teens caught on subway footage, who were found to have open warrants for their arrest. The police were already familiar with the scam that targeted Siaca, as similar incidents involving teenagers from New Jersey had been reported.
Siaca, who was crowned Miss New York in 2021 and now works as a high-end real estate agent, shared her encounter with the scammers on social media. The boys approached her in Madison Square Park, claiming to be part of a youth basketball team raising money for uniforms. They tricked her into sending them $2,000 through her Zelle account.
Despite feeling shocked and deceived, Siaca emphasized her sympathy for kids in low-income communities and their struggle to afford extracurricular activities. She acknowledged the professionalism of the scammers and their ability to distract her from the theft.
Siaca’s bank informed her that recovering the money was uncertain, so she decided to raise awareness about the scam to prevent others from falling victim. Despite facing potential judgment and ridicule, she was determined to help others avoid similar situations.
As a former beauty queen with street smarts and book intelligence, Siaca used her platform to educate the public about the scam and received overwhelming support from others who had also been scammed. She remained committed to helping others and raising awareness about financial scams.
