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An American Airlines flight attendant has been arrested at Miami International Airport after investigators accused her of stealing approximately $25,310 from a 75-year-old Florida woman through a fraudulent sweepstakes scheme.
Destiny Blake, 24, of Brooklyn, New York, was taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers after arriving on an international flight, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
- American Airlines flight attendant Destiny Blake was arrested at Miami International Airport over an alleged $25,310 fraud targeting a 75-year-old Florida resident.
- Investigators allege Blake used airline employee travel privileges to visit the victim’s home and obtained $14,220 in cash and Zelle payments, alongside $10,590.30 in credit card charges.
- Financial records, Uber travel data, surveillance footage and cellphone location information were used in the investigation. Blake faces multiple fraud and grand theft charges.
Investigators allege Blake used her American Airlines employee travel privileges to fly to Florida and visit the victim’s home in Palm Coast as part of a scheme involving cash transfers, unauthorized credit card transactions and misuse of personal identification information.
An arrest warrant was issued on October 13 following an investigation into the woman’s financial exploitation.
Blake faces charges of organized scheme to defraud more than $20,000 from a victim aged 65 or older, fraudulent use of personal identification information belonging to a person aged 60 or older, and grand theft exceeding $20,000.
She was transferred to the Miami-Dade County jail and subsequently released on a $30,000 bond.
Fake sweepstakes scheme allegedly began with $500 gift card
According to the sheriff’s office, the alleged fraud began in November 2025, when the victim received a telephone call from someone claiming to represent Publishers Clearing House.
The caller told the woman she had won a sweepstakes prize but would need to send a $500 gift card before receiving her winnings.
The gift card was to be mailed to a person identified as Destiny Blake at an address in Brooklyn. Authorities said the woman followed the instructions.
Around the same period, the victim discovered that she could no longer access her email account.
Investigators determined that her password had been changed and the account had been modified to resemble another email address that she had never created. Between November 15 and November 19, the woman withdrew more than $14,000 from her bank account.
Detectives subsequently established that Blake had allegedly received $14,220 through cash and transfers made using Zelle, the electronic payment service.
The investigation also identified unauthorized access to the victim’s credit accounts and purchases linked to Blake’s personal information.
American Airlines employee travel benefits linked to alleged fraud
Investigators said Blake used her flight attendant travel privileges to fly from New York to Daytona Beach, Florida, on November 18, 2025, travelling as a standby passenger.
After arriving at Daytona Beach International Airport, she reportedly took an Uber to a hotel along State Road 100 in Palm Coast.
The following morning, an Uber dropped Blake outside the victim’s residence shortly before 11 a.m., according to detectives.
Approximately 15 minutes later, another Uber collected her from the property and transported her back to Daytona Beach International Airport.
Authorities said purchases were subsequently made with the victim’s credit card at airports in Daytona Beach and Charlotte, North Carolina, before Blake returned to New York.
Investigators also discovered that Blake had been added as an authorized user on the elderly woman’s Apple Card account and had obtained a separate card linked to that account.
A family member later discovered a handwritten note inside the victim’s home directing her to tell the credit card company that Blake was her granddaughter and had permission to use the account.
Detectives cited the note as part of the evidence gathered during the financial exploitation investigation.
Investigators identify 88 credit card transactions worth $10,590
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office identified 88 transactions totaling $10,590.30 on the victim’s credit cards between November 16 and December 11, 2025. The purchases included a $1,740.91 eBay order delivered to Blake’s Brooklyn address and $1,523.16 spent on Apple products.
More than $1,300 was charged at businesses including T-Mobile, Ugg and a Brooklyn hair salon. Investigators also identified numerous Uber rides and Uber Eats orders.
One Uber transaction was paid in Jamaican dollars in Kingston, Jamaica, two days after Blake had travelled to the country while working for American Airlines, according to detectives.
Financial and digital records allegedly connected the transactions to Blake. Investigators determined that online purchases were placed using her name, email address and telephone number.
Detectives also obtained surveillance footage that they said showed Blake using the victim’s credit card at a supermarket in Queens, New York.
Cellphone location information placed Blake’s phone near businesses where some of the disputed transactions occurred, the sheriff’s office reported.
Combined with the cash transfers and initial gift card payment, the credit card activity brought the victim’s estimated financial losses to approximately $25,310.
Flight attendant arrested after international arrival in Miami
After reviewing financial records, payment information, surveillance footage and travel history, Flagler County detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Blake on October 13.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers subsequently arrested her when she arrived at Miami International Airport on an international flight late Friday evening.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly criticized the alleged use of airline employee benefits to facilitate the scheme.
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.
Rick Staly, Flagler County Sheriff
“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,” Staly said.
The charges concern alleged financial exploitation of an elderly person, unauthorized use of personal identification information and theft exceeding $20,000. The allegations have not been established in court.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has also encouraged families to take precautions against financial scams targeting older relatives, particularly schemes involving unexpected prize notifications, requests for advance payments and unauthorized access to banking or credit accounts.
