Southborough woman charged with fraudulently spending over $45,000
BOSTON, October 4, 2023 – A Southborough woman was arraigned Tuesday in Central BMC for making unauthorized purchases totaling $45,716.15, using her mother-in law’s credit card at Saks Fifth Avenue in Boston, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
LAUREN SHAY, 30, was charged with two counts of improper use of a credit card over $1,200. Judge Eleanor Sinnott released Shay on personal recognizance and ordered her to stay away from the victim. Shay is due back in court on November 30.
On July 20, Boston police received a report for fraudulent credit card activity between June 19 and June 23. The victim, in her 80s, was made aware of several large transactions at Saks Fifth Avenue during that timeframe by her accountant. The victim said she did not make or authorize any of the purchases.
Investigators spoke to a Saks employee who has been the victim’s personal shopper for several years. About two years ago, the victim brought her newly married daughter-in-law into the store and introduced them. On December 22, 2022, Shay contacted the personal shopper for an order and sent her a photo of the victim’s credit card via text message. The credit card information was then entered into Shay’s shopping member profile. The personal shopper was not aware that the credit card belonged to the victim because the first name listed on the card was not the name she knew the victim by.
The employee told investigators the victim’s daughter-in-law, later identified as Shay, came into the store during that time frame and made the purchases.
On the morning of June 19, the personal shopper received a phone call from Shay telling her “I am coming in and I am going to France, so I need everything.” Shay made purchases totaling $36,545.95. She instructed the personal shopper to use the credit card on file, which belonged to her mother-in-law.
Shay returned to the store a few days later and made several more purchases totaling $9,170.20, bringing the total to $45,716.15.
Shay also has an open improper firearm storage matter out of Woburn District Court.
“Stealing such a large amount of money, especially from a trusting family member, is certainly criminal. But it’s more than that. It’s a devastating breach of familial trust. We can address the criminal aspect through the court system, but the familial rupture is beyond our reach. Too often we see individuals victimize their loved ones and elders without thinking of the consequences for their targets or themselves,” Hayden said.
Anyone over 60 who believes they may be the victim of financial abuse or fraud should call the Elder Abuse Hotline at 1-800-922-2275 or visit www.mass.gov/reporting-elder-financial-abuse-fraud to learn more about the signs of elder financial abuse and for additional resources.
All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.
James Borghesani, Chief of Communications