All news

New York woman busted in $1M fake lottery scheme

Authorities say the suspect lured an elderly victim into paying bogus fees to claim a fake lottery prize.

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood received Shania Baptiste during her extradition.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood received Shania Baptiste during her extradition. Photograph credit to the Volusia Sheriff's Office.
Todd Betzold

What started as an exciting promise of a $1 million lottery win quickly turned into a costly nightmare for an elderly Florida woman. The scam seemed convincing — complete with official-sounding instructions and urgent demands to cover taxes and fees before claiming her prize.

But when bank tellers grew suspicious, and authorities traced the money trail, the scheme unraveled. Now, after a months-long investigation, one of the alleged suspects has been extradited to Florida, where she faces justice and a stern warning from the sheriff about targeting vulnerable victims.

Preying on an elderly woman

Authorities in Florida said the lottery scheme started in June. That is when Shania Baptiste, along with her accomplice Nelson Brooks, allegedly started pressuring the victim to send large amounts of money to them.

The pair allegedly convinced the victim she had won $1 million through a Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes. However, to get her money, she had to pay the taxes and fees first.

According to arrest reports obtained by WFTV, the victim tried to wire $20,000 from her Truist bank account on two different occasions, but she was stopped by the tellers, who warned her it was a scam. The victim then reportedly went back to the suspects and told them about the banks stopping her from sending them the money.

The pair then allegedly told the elderly woman to go to a different bank and make up a story, telling the bank employees that she was sending the money to a relative in New York for home repairs.

That story worked. The woman was able to wire $20,000 to Baptiste's Santander Bank account — then the pair demanded she send another $12,500.

Financial trail leading to the suspect

The elderly victim eventually realized she had been duped and went to police. Authorities launched an investigation in September, which uncovered a financial trail that led directly to Baptiste's frozen bank account.

Detectives from the NYPD confronted and arrested Baptiste in December at the same address listed on the delivery confirmation sent by the victim. Brooks — who also played a key role in the lottery scheme — was arrested days before Batiste but has since bonded out.

Extradited to Florida

After a months-long investigation, Baptiste was extradited from New York to Volusia County. Baptiste was handcuffed and escorted by deputies before being greeted by Sheriff Mike Chitwood, who happened to have some choice words for Baptiste.

Chitwood said:

This is the tip of the iceberg with these two. NYPD Crimes, I can't thank them enough for all their help. But this is bigger than this.

When asked about the money, Baptiste said:

There weren't any intentions for the money. When my lawyer is present, then an explanation will be given.

Baptiste was booked into Volusia County jail and faces charges for her role in the lottery scheme.

In a warning, Chitwood told everyone to be vigilant about scammers targeting money from you, especially right now during tax season.

Enjoy playing the lottery, and please remember to play responsibly and avoid scams.

Comments

0
Loading comments

Related articles

Larry Hartig of Syracuse, who won the  $17 million New York LOTTO jackpot from the July 23 drawing.
Mystery solved: Syracuse lottery winner claims $17M prize

The Onondaga County lottery winner waited 90 days to claim his millions.

Samantha Herscher profile pic

Samantha Herscher

A "Welcome to Sweet Home Alabama" sign.
How does Alabama, which has no lotteries, rank 10th in lottery scams?

Lottery fraud is happening all over the country. However, these statistics will surprise you.

Halley Bondy profile pic

Halley Bondy

A close up of the lights on a cop car at night.
Suspect arrested in string of Southern California lottery ticket burglaries

Detectives say the burglary spree left small business owners with thousands in losses.

Todd Betzold profile pic

Todd Betzold

A screen capture of police bodycam footage showing the detention of  James Farthing on April 29, 2025.
From big wins to the big house: Lottery winners who served time

When lottery fortunes can't keep career criminals out of jail, and other stories.

Alex Cramer profile pic

Alex Cramer

Recent articles

View All
A billboard displaying a $680 million jackpot for Mega Millions and a $344 million jackpot for Powerball.
Big jackpot weekend ahead: Mega Millions leads the way at $680M

It's a big-money weekend across the country, with Powerball and in-state games close behind.

Todd Betzold profile pic

Todd Betzold

The Wisconsin Lottery Holly Jolly Raffle logo.
The Wisconsin holiday raffle that keeps disappearing: Here's why

Holly Jolly Raffle tickets go on sale today with a $125,000 prize. Will this year's batch last until December?

Samantha Herscher profile pic

Samantha Herscher

Ray Walker of Gastonia won the October 21, 2025, $1.02 million North Carolina Lottery Cash 5 jackpot.
North Carolina man wins first $1M Cash 5 jackpot since August 2024

He thought he was dreaming, until a splash of water proved otherwise!

Todd Betzold profile pic

Todd Betzold

The Nebraska State Capitol.
Nebraska Lottery ticket sales down, in part, to online gambling

Nebraska Lottery ticket sales declined by $36M, according to an audit from the Nebraska Auditor of Public Accounts.

Halley Bondy profile pic

Halley Bondy