Albany’s Tiana Lee Arends slammed for ‘predatory fraud’ reminiscent of crimes that landed sister in prison

A 23-year-old Albany woman has been slammed for scamming an elderly man by using a “predatory” strategy similar to the one which landed her sister in prison. Tiana Lee Arends faced Albany Magistrates Court on Thursday last week, pleading guilty to one count of gaining benefit by fraud. Prosecutor Sergeant Alan Dean told the court that Arends attended the home of a 77-year-old man on July 7 and asked him for money so she could go to Perth for a funeral. The pensioner loaned her $150 and she agreed to pay it back. On July 10, Arends told the victim she could not pay him back and asked for money for food. The man told her to return the next day, when he gave her $300. Two days later, Arends told the victim she could pay him back by transferring the money directly into his bank account using his PIN number. Sgt Dean said the man drove her to the bank, where she ran away and withdrew $1000 from his account. Calling for a prison sentence, Sgt Dean said it was “hard to fathom” that Arends would commit a crime so reminiscent of the offending that ended with her older sister receiving a 19-month prison sentence in December. Arends’ defence lawyer said her client was ashamed of the offence and became emotional speaking about it. She said her client had been dealing with domestic violence. The court was told Arends was a regular user of cannabis and methamphetamine. Magistrate Dianne Scaddan, the same magistrate who sentenced her older sister, described the offence as “predatory fraud”. “The modus operandi seems to be reasonably well known in the community,” Ms Scaddan said. Ms Scaddan said she had taken advantage of her elderly victim. “Elderly people need to be protected from this kind of ‘poor me’ predatory behaviour,” she said. “It is a serious example of predatory fraud to someone who was for all intents and purposes a good Samaritan to you.” Arends was sentenced to a 12-month intensive supervision order with urinalysis and program requirements. Ms Scaddan made a compensation order for $1000. “If you’re dinkum about wanting to turn your life around then I’ve given you every chance,” she said. “If you’re not, I guess we’ll find out pretty fast.” In December, Arends’ older sister, Rochelle Phyllis Arends, was sentenced to 19 months in prison for fraud and stealing offences. Rochelle Phyllis Arends took more than $100,000 from five older male victims in 2020 and 2021, including $46,080 from an 84-year-old Albany man. Her methods included befriending her victims, making bank withdrawals against their wishes and accessing their online bank accounts.