Investigators say the elaborate real estate scheme used fake identities, a bogus escrow officer, shell companies and an allegedly AI-generated driver’s license before the money trail led detectives to a reality television personality.
On July 11, 2025, a couple attempting to purchase a parcel of land next to their mobile home park in Orange City, Florida, allegedly lost nearly $200,000 in a fraudulent real estate transaction. property and began communicating with the realtor and an escrow officer who claimed to work for a known escrow company.
Investigators said the couple obtained contact information for a realtor from a “Land for Sale” sign posted on the property and began communicating with the realtor and an escrow officer who claimed to work for a known escrow company. The couple initially paid a $2,000 deposit and received a confirmation email before wiring an additional $196,786.65 toward the purchase. After the money was transferred, the couple began having difficulty reaching the realtor and escrow officer while attempting to obtain a survey of the property. They were eventually told the realtor was out of the office and to stop calling. The couple contacted the legitimate escrow company and learned that it did not provide closing services and that the person they had been dealing with did not work for the company. Investigators said people posing as the owners of the property had also contacted the couple and provided paperwork to make it appear that the land was legitimately for sale. The real property owner later told investigators that the land had never been listed for sale and confirmed that a copy of her driver’s license used in the transaction was fake. Authorities said the fraudulent identification appeared to have been created using artificial intelligence. On September 8, 2025, the couple reported the alleged fraud to investigators. Detectives determined the scheme involved the fraudulent use of the property owner’s identity, an unauthorized “For Sale” sign, the attempted sale of property without the owner’s knowledge and the movement of proceeds through multiple bank accounts and shell companies. Investigators later traced a fake escrow company address to a woman in Philadelphia who denied knowing anything about the company. The woman reportedly told detectives that she used a wheelchair, did not drive and had previously been the victim of identity theft. After obtaining a seizure warrant for one of the bank accounts, investigators reviewed an October 4, 2025 ATM transaction in New York. Surveillance footage allegedly showed a woman depositing a check connected to the scheme. Investigators identified the woman as 40-year-old Salomes Jackson, better known as reality television personality Betty Idol, in part through facial recognition software and distinctive tattoos on her face and neck. Authorities said Jackson ultimately received $178,786.65 through the network of accounts and had direct control over accounts used to receive, transfer, withdraw and allegedly launder the stolen money. On August 13, 2026, Jackson was taken into custody following a nearly yearlong investigation. She was charged with money laundering involving $100,000 or more, grand theft over $100,000, organized scheme to defraud, and use of another person’s identification without consent. Jackson is known for appearing on “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” and “Cartel Crew.”
