Oklahoma woman accused of laundering nearly $1.5 million from elderly women through romance scams

PAWNEE COUNTY, Okla. (TCN) — A 53-year-old woman faces charges after allegedly scamming elderly women out of money through online romance schemes.

According to the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, between Sept. 30, 2024, and Dec. 26, 2024, Christine Echohawk allegedly laundered funds from women ranging in age from 64 to 79. The victims reportedly believed they were sending money to a man they were in an online romantic relationship with.

The attorney general’s office said one woman sold her home so she could send $600,000. The victims allegedly sent gift cards, cash, and cashier’s checks, and wired money to the suspect’s account.

Echohawk’s bank reported suspected senior fraud activity in January after they stopped and held a $120,000 transfer from one of the victims, and the Consumer Protection Unit looked into the incident.

According to the attorney general’s office, Echohawk allegedly laundered the illegally obtained money through different accounts, and she converted the funds to cryptocurrency and sent them to another unidentified suspect.

Law enforcement confronted Echohawk in January 2024, but she allegedly continued her crimes after a short break. She faces charges of unlawful use of criminal proceeds and using a computer to violate state statutes. If convicted, Echohawk could spend 24 to 62 years in prison and pay up to $260,000 in fines. She remains held in the Pawnee County Jail.

Attorney General Gentner Drummond said, “These types of scams that target seniors are especially egregious. I applaud the work of my Consumer Protection Unit to fight for these victims and to hold accountable their alleged perpetrator.”