Miami Woman and Female Accomplice Scammed Millions From Elderly Men Looking for Love, Feds Say

Two women, one of them a North Miami Beach resident, have been arrested for defrauding multiple victims as part of a long-running scheme, according to an unsealed federal court complaint.

Prosecutors in Manhattan say 48-year-old Rosanna Lisa Stanley and 37-year-old Gina Guy duped at least 16 "elderly and other vulnerable victims" into sending them more than $7 million during a 15-year scheme.

Stanley was arrested in North Miami Beach on June 25, Guy in New York City that same day. They face charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Each charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.

"As part of the scheme, Stanley and Guy lured the victims, who were nearly all elderly individuals, into purported romantic or close personal relationships through in-person meetings, phone calls, text messages, and an online dating platform," the complaint (appended at the end of this story) reads in part.

Prosecutors say the women told the men they needed the money for things like organ transplants and nonexistent businesses, including a Florida catering company.

One victim who thought he was involved in an exclusive, romantic relationship with Stanley paid her rent and living expenses and showered her with gifts after she claimed she needed "money for basic necessities," prosecutors claim.

Stanley allegedly racked up thousands of dollars in charges on the man's credit card without his permission after she received his online bank login and physical credit card.

The man also gave Stanley $220,000, which she told him she needed for her catering business. There was no catering business, prosecutors say; Stanley used the money to pay off loans on a boat and a luxury car.

According to the complaint, Stanley defrauded at least $1 million out of another victim she met through her "purported astrology business in Manhattan." She allegedly provided "psychic services" to the victim, telling themtheir money was "tainted" and that they needed to transfer the funds to her to "protect" it from bad influences.

"Over time, Stanley also convinced the victim to provide [her] with more and more money on the basis [she] could help the victim reach [their] desired life," the complaint states.

Guy allegedly defrauded four men, whom she met in person and on an online dating website, out of at least $908,000.

Prosecutors say she told three of the men she needed money for a kidney transplant and scammed the fourth into agreeing to transfer his mother's funds "to another bank that offered a better interest rate on funds on deposit."

According to the complaint, Guy spent her ill-gotten gains on pricey meals, luxury goods, rent, and utilities.

Yet another elderly victim sent the women thousands of dollars, ostensibly to purchase a dressmaking business in New York City.

"As alleged, Rosanna Lisa Stanley and Gina Guy callously defrauded elderly victims who were simply looking for companionship," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a press release.

Romance scammers have been preying on lonely and elderly victims across the nation for years.

In 2023 alone, the Federal Trade Commission received more than 64,000 reports of romance scams, with losses exceeding $1.1 billion. In May, a South Florida woman was arrested after she allegedly funneled money on behalf of romance scammers from 2019 to August 2023.