By Roberto Bustamante
A Florida woman used the Facebook dating app to convince a disabled man that she was “trapped in a domestic violence relationship” and “needed money to escape.”
“If someone is naive enough to send money, it is their responsibility,” he declared. Gianna Abel-Venezia to police, according to a news release issued by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
“He admitted that he knew what he did was technically incorrect,” the statement states. “What I didn’t expect was to discover that scamming people is, in fact, illegal.”
Police say Abel-Venezia met the victim on Facebook Courting and they began talking on the phone. Presumably, She pretended to be “stuck” in an abusive relationship and claimed she needed help to get out of it..
“To make the story credible, he even sent photos that appeared to show injuries,” the sheriff’s office says. “Feeling sorry for his situation, the victim sent him money.”
Police claim Abel-Venezia “continued with the scam,” and the victim sent her more than $2,000 despite never having seen or met her.
“When the victim discovered that she had been lied to and confronted Abel-Venezia, she admitted that she was only talking to him about money and because he was disabled,” the sheriff’s office alleges. “She also told him that she had been doing this to people since 2025 and that, according to her, ‘there is nothing that can happen.’”
The victim told the police that she felt sorry for Abel-Venezia after meeting her online and decided to help her financially to “escape” the fake relationship. Abel-Venezia asked police to apologize to the victim on his behalf.
Abel-Venezia faces charges of wealth fraud or organized fraud. He is due in court for arraignment on June 23.
Authorities have asked anyone with similar stories or allegations involving Abel-Venezia to come forward and speak with Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) detectives.
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