SUN CITY CENTER, Fla. — More than $300 million was scammed out of seniors in Florida last year, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, making the state the second-highest in the nation for senior fraud.
This can range from emails, phone calls, to in-person scammers.
One such case involves thousands of residents in Sun City Center. Victoria Zerillo, 49, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for wire tape fraud in connection with embezzlement of funds from a senior citizen community.
She pleaded guilty to stealing more than $410,000 in April.
Zerillo was a general manager of a nonprofit that provided HVAC, appliance and plumbing repair services to members of the senior community. The FBI says that from December 2015 through November 2022, the suspect conspired to commit wire fraud and embezzlement.