Priscilla Johnson, a 33-year-old Colorado woman, has been accused of targeting elderly men in an elaborate fraud scheme centred on emotionally manipulative sob stories. Johnson initially pleaded guilty to theft and criminal exploitation of an at-risk elder after defrauding a 90-year-old man, but investigators have now uncovered evidence suggesting her predatory behaviour was far more widespread and systematic, affecting multiple victims and totalling nearly half a million dollars.

The scams typically began when Johnson approached elderly men at King Soopers grocery stores, gaining their trust through fabricated hardship narratives. In her first identified case, she told Emet 'Allan' Moran that her car had been broken into and her makeup equipment stolen (claiming $6,000 in losses), then a week later claimed she had cancer and needed $38,000 for a kidney transplant—ultimately extracting $34,000 in cash from him. She employed similar strategies with other victims: Richard Wadleigh, aged 80, was persuaded to give $8,000 after hearing about a fiancé's death in a car accident, whilst Mike Hansen, aged 61, lost $450,000 after Johnson posed as another woman offering investment opportunities in a gold business. Evidence from Johnson's mobile phone led to additional charges including theft, forgery, and two counts of crimes against at-risk individuals.