A North Carolina woman is behind bars this week after a Bradenton Police Department investigation revealed a bizarre, dual-layer scam that drained at least $100,000 from a local senior and allegedly involved a fake online romance with a billionaire.
Elizabeth Ann Hildbrand, 51, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was arrested on May 18, 2026, by Elder Fraud Detective Jim Curulla, with help from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. She faces charges of Grand Theft and Money Laundering and is currently awaiting extradition to Manatee County.
The case began in February 2026 when a 66-year-old Bradenton man filed a fraud report. He told police he had invested roughly $300,000 over a two-year period with an online company called “Tesla 1.” The victim discovered the fraud only after he tried to withdraw money from the account and found himself locked out.
According to police, the victim communicated through text messages and the Telegram app with two people posing as financial brokers, one of whom was identified as Hildbrand. Financial records show the victim sent $87,651 via wire transfers and cashier’s checks directly to bank accounts owned by Hildbrand. On top of that, he bought $22,500 in Apple gift cards, handed over the PINs to the scammers, and mailed an undetermined amount of cash. Subpoenas later revealed that Hildbrand deposited the money and quickly moved it into cryptocurrency.
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When questioned by Detective Curulla after her arrest, Hildbrand claimed she was also a victim. She told investigators she believed she was in an online romantic relationship with “Elon Musk” and had agreed to help the billionaire buy cryptocurrency. While Hildbrand admitted she eventually realized she was being duped by a romance scam, investigators determined she kept right on accepting the Bradenton man’s money and funneling it into crypto anyway.
The case highlights a massive spike in digital fraud. The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report notes that cyber-related crimes cost Americans nearly $21 billion last year, though actual losses are likely much higher due to unreported cases. Investment and romance scams ranked in the top five most common and expensive digital threats.
Locally, the financial damage is stark. In 2025, cases handled by the Bradenton Police Department’s Elder Fraud Unit totaled about $8 million in losses. As of May 1, 2026, the unit has already tracked at least $750,000 in losses for the current year.
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