Florida woman extorts innocent husband who left phone briefly unattended at bar, threatens to tell wife he is cheating

A woman in Florida is accused of trying to extort a man who left his phone unattended while out enjoying a few drinks with friends.

The New York Post reports that Briyana Andrea Valls, 22, is charged with extortion and grand theft after she allegedly threatened to tell the man’s wife that he was cheating if he didn’t pay her $500.

The unidentified man reportedly went to Big Dawgs Sports Bar in Pembroke Pines on Tuesday, and left his phone unattended for a short time, but took it home with him. Later that night, he reportedly got several text messages from an unfamiliar number, demanding that send a mobile money transfer to account belonging to Valls. If he didn’t send the money, the person sending the messages threatened to tell his wife he was cheating.

She also said that she would send a photo of herself and the man at the bar. But the man hadn’t done anything wrong, and had no recollection of meeting the woman.

“This gentleman didn’t have any idea who this girl was,” Davie Police Sgt. Mark Leone told WPLG.

The man called the police about the threatening messages, and they helped him arrange a sting operation to trap the alleged extorter. They set up another call with the victim and the suspect, and this time she asked for even more money: $500.

After they met at the agreed-upon address, the man gave the woman an envelope with $500 cash — and she was promptly arrested.

Valls reportedly admitted to police that she had made up the story of having a photo with the alleged victim, and said she concocted the scam to help raise money for her brother’s medical expenses.