Credit: Crimewatch/Lower Moreland Police Department.
Tiana Marie Elliston, 26, turned herself into the Lower Moreland Police Department on June 12, nearly two years after an investigation was opened regarding a theft from a business in Huntingdon Valley, according to police.
On Oct. 19, 2023, a theft was reported to the Lower Moreland Police Department by a victim and their company, located near the intersection of Heaton Road and County Line Road, according to police. The incident involved fraudulent activity related to the business account.
According to police, an unknown actor(s) sent an email to the accounting manager of the company in October of 2023, posing as the owner of the company, and requested information about same-day payments, which prompted the accounting manager to respond.
The actor(s) then sent an invoice for services allegedly provided during a merger, totaling over $22,000. The invoice instructed payment to be sent to a JP Morgan Chase Bank account, which was successfully sent by the accounting manager. The accounting manager also received another email from the same address, requesting an update to the vendor's banking details. The new invoice was for over $60,000, to be sent to a Wells Fargo Bank account.
However, the accounting manager, realizing this may be a scam, did not send the payment. The investigation confirmed that the $22,000 payment was processed and cleared. Further investigation led to the identification of Elliston and her mother as the account holders of the JP Morgan Chase Bank account where the funds were deposited.
Elliston was found to be the one to make the large cash withdrawals in October 2023. Based on the evidence, it is believed that Elliston received the funds fraudulently and used them without permission.
A warrant for her arrest was granted.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
