American Beauty Queen Briana Siaca Sparks Concern Over Prevalent Zelle Scam Following Personal Encounter.
The ex-Miss New York fell victim to a scam, losing thousands while in an NYC park. Now, her viral warning serves as a cautionary tale for fellow New Yorkers about the thieves who targeted her.
A former beauty queen’s video detailing a Zelle scam she experienced in New York City has garnered hundreds of thousands of views. Briana Siaca, previously Miss New York USA and now a Corcoran Group real estate agent, shared the incident on TikTok. In her cautionary message to vulnerable New Yorkers, she recounted being approached by two young scammers while listening to a podcast in Madison Square Park, who claimed to be fundraising for their basketball team.
“They supposedly play in South Bronx and can’t afford their uniforms, and they were giving me the whole spiel,” said the Long Island native.
“I agreed to give them some money, but I didn’t have any cash on me, so they accepted Venmo and Zelle,” she continued, noting that the teens expressed a preference for Zelle over Venmo.
She recounted pulling out her phone and inquiring where she could send the money.
One of the boys volunteered to enter the information into her device, to which she consented, while engaging in conversation with the other teen.
At one juncture, Siaca noticed that the teen handling her phone was taking an unusually long time to input his account details, prompting her to reclaim her phone.
The teens expressed gratitude and hastily departed before she could inspect their actions.
“I checked my Zelle account, and they transferred $2,000 to themselves,” she informed her followers.
“I’m stunned. It’s like a frightening dream because these boys appeared so sweet, innocent, and charming. I admired their courage in fundraising for their team,” she expressed.
Siaca mentioned reaching out to her bank, but there doesn’t seem to be many options available – once Zelle transactions are sent, retrieving the digital cash without the recipient’s cooperation is extremely challenging.
She reported the incident to her local NYPD precinct, where officers provided significant assistance.
“They informed me that kids have been scamming people all over the city, from New York City parks to Barclays Center,” she recounted. “They are out there sending Venmo and Zelle payments to themselves,” she added.
Law enforcement authorities in New York City have cautioned both residents and visitors to remain extremely vigilant regarding these scams. They frequently entail seemingly innocent teenagers soliciting contributions for youth sports leagues or other extracurricular activities through commonly used cash apps.
While some individuals on social media ridiculed Siaca’s perceived gullibility, her father came to her defense in an interview with the New York Post. He explained that she had recently undergone wisdom teeth extraction and was still recovering when she fell victim to the scam. “They had her on some pretty strong medication, and she was sitting there very groggy, trying to take a moment after the surgery, and they were watching her,” stated David Siaca, aged 70. “They gave her some story about needing help or charity work, and she was still groggy and just handed her phone over. These people, I mean, they’re like predators,” he added.
