Like mom, like scammer. 

A Lengthy Island mom and daughter have been indicted over a greater than decade-long bank card fraud scheme wherein they allegedly scammed banks out of a whole bunch of hundreds of {dollars} for purchases of designer duds and splendid holidays, The Submit has realized.

Karan Geist, 61, and her daughter Alyssa Geist, 33, appeared in Manhattan Supreme Court docket on Friday and pleaded not responsible to the slew of expenses in opposition to them, together with grand larceny and fraud.

“This can be a 13-year scheme that concerned hundreds of bank card transactions whereby Karan falsely reported — though she incurred respectable expenses — as fraudulent,” stated Assistant District Lawyer Catherine McCaw in the course of the listening to.

Prosecutors allege Karan falsely disputed $850,000 in expenses from roughly 14 totally different bank card firms between 2008 and 2021.

“These purchases ranged in nature from the luxurious to the mundane,” based on District Lawyer Alvin Bragg’s workplace.

“On quite a few events, Karan booked journey each for international and home to unique locations together with Paris, Milan, Norway, Costa Rica, Hawaii and a lot of different locations,” the ADA advised Justice Laura Ward in court docket. 

The Huntington resident allegedly obtained credit score on her statements after calling banks and writing letters to staff falsely reporting fraudulent expenses, together with $205,000 on her American Specific playing cards and $155,000 from Chase.

“She booked tickets in her personal title, automobile leases in her member of the family’s title, resort stays in her personal title, and different luxurious purchases like watches and purses whereas she was touring,” McCaw stated.

She additionally allegedly disputed mundane life bills, reminiscent of purchases on the Greenback Retailer and even a veterinary invoice for her canine Louis and Daisy, in addition to purchasing sprees on the likes of Bloomingdale’s and Bergdorf Goodman.

Prosecutors allege that Karan later recruited her daughter to hitch within the household racket, and that Alyssa took half within the con for about six months.

In 2016, Barclays Financial institution obtained surveillance footage of Karan and Alyssa making a transaction at a Chanel retailer — which the 2 later reported as a fraudulent cost, prosecutors alleged.

Alyssa, a former New York Metropolis trainer, allegedly used considered one of her mother’s bank cards for a $1,400 buy in July 2017 — and following Karan’s particular directions, then disputed the cost to get a refund.

Whereas touring to Montreal with mates in August 2017, Alyssa texted her mother about how you can falsely dispute expenses as fraudulent, prosecutors alleged. Alyssa left the Division of Schooling in 2015 and based Tutorologie, a house and on-line tutoring service for youths.

Police raided Karan’s house a few yr in the past, and located greater than 100 bank cards tied to a number of purchases — together with a fridge and sun shades — in addition to receipts associated to transactions that have been later reported as fraud, the DA’s Workplace stated.

The accused con artists have been freed on supervised launch following their listening to on Friday, and their passports have been ordered confiscated.

Alyssa, who wore ragged denims and a printed prime, was in tears as she left court docket, and each she and her mother declined to remark.

“My solely remark [is] she isn’t responsible. She is totally harmless right here and it’ll come out in the long run,” stated Alyssa’s lawyer James Pascarella. A lawyer for Karan didn’t instantly return a request for remark.

The mother and daughter are due again in court docket September 14.