Florida woman, 44, uses ‘botox’ to explain age after using mother’s age in fraudulent hurricane aid: police
A 44-year-old Florida woman has been accused of identity theft after allegedly using her mother’s information to apply for hurricane aid. Veronica Torres, according to the Bradenton Police Department, faces a third-degree felony charge for filing a false public assistance claim and receiving nearly $8,000 in aid.
Police stated that Torres attempted to deceive government employees by using her mother’s name, driver’s license, and social security information in her application for disaster assistance. In her claim, she asserted that the aftermath of Hurricanes Milton and Helene had forced her to evacuate her residence.
Authorities revealed that Torres almost succeeded in her scheme until a sharp-eyed city employee noticed an age discrepancy. When Torres went to collect her $7,967 check on November 14th, the employee became suspicious. Despite Torres’ claims of undergoing “botox treatments” to look younger, the employee was unconvinced.
The following day, Torres was interrogated by Bradenton detectives and subsequently arrested. She was later released on a $2,500 bond, according to jail records.
This incident serves as a reminder of the consequences of fraudulent behavior and the importance of verifying information before disbursing aid. It also highlights the vigilance required to prevent identity theft and financial fraud.
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, covered this story. For story tips and suggestions, you can contact her at sarah.rumpf@fox.com or on Twitter at @s_rumpfwhitten.
