49-year-old Angela Borrero of Lakeland / PCSO
By Ciara Perez, Senior Multimedia Correspondent
iSkyNews.com (ISN) – Published May 21, 2026
News Brief
- Lakeland restaurant server accused of stealing customer debit card information
- Nearly $900 in unauthorized charges made after dinner outing
- Investigators say suspect attempted to use fraudulent spa gift cards
- Suspect already behind bars on unrelated charges
LAKELAND, Fla. — A Lakeland restaurant server is facing multiple felony charges after investigators say she stole a customer’s debit card information during a dinner outing and used it to rack up nearly $900 in fraudulent purchases.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the incident began on April 16, 2026, when a woman and her husband went out for dinner at a sports bar in Lakeland and paid their bill using a debit card.
But the following morning, the victim says her bank began alerting her to suspicious charges she did not authorize, including:
- $600 at Posh Day Spa in Winter Haven
- $93.88 at Chili’s Bar and Grille in Lakeland
- $200 at Florida Cosmetic Center
The total unauthorized charges came to $893.88.
Determined to find out what happened, the victim contacted Posh Day Spa, where staff informed her the $600 transaction had been used to purchase six gift cards.
During that same phone call, investigators say an unusual break in the case happened.
The spa reportedly received another call from a woman identifying herself as Angela, attempting to book an appointment using the recently purchased gift cards. However, no appointments were available that day.
Caller ID reportedly identified the woman as Angela Borrero.
The spa owner then located a photo of Borrero on social media and sent it to the victim, who immediately recognized her as the waitress who had served them the night before.
A Polk County Sheriff’s Office detective took over the investigation and later spoke with the restaurant owner, who confirmed Borrero had only been employed there for nine days before the fraudulent transactions occurred.
Investigators also obtained records from Borrero’s cell phone provider, which reportedly confirmed that her phone was the one used to contact the spa.
49-year-old Angela Borrero of Lakeland was already being held at the Polk County Jail on unrelated charges when she was formally charged on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in connection with this case.
She now faces the following charges:
- Grand Theft (F3)
- Scheme to Defraud (F3)
- Use of Identification of Another Person (F3)
- Fraudulent Use of a Debit Card (F3)
- Violation of Probation (Possession of Controlled Substance)
According to investigators, Borrero has an extensive criminal history, including 20 prior felony convictions and 15 misdemeanor convictions. Her past offenses reportedly include petit theft, retail theft, grand theft, possession of more than 10 fraudulent checks, drug-related offenses, and identity theft.
The case serves as a reminder for consumers to closely monitor bank activity after using payment cards in public and to report suspicious transactions immediately.
Source: Polk County Sheriff’s Office
_______
iSkyNews.com | Trusted Local Coverage — Safety Creator and Contributing Journalist for Citizen
📲 Join and follow iSkyNews on Citizen: https://go.citizen.com/iskynews
Follow iSkyNews.com for breaking news, public safety updates, and community alerts across Florida and Arizona.
💬 See something we missed?
If you spot an error or have additional information, please reach out: support@iskynews.com
© 2026 iSkyNews.com — All rights reserved. Unauthorized use, copying, or redistribution of this content is strictly prohibited.
Lakeland fraud, Polk County fraud, debit card fraud Florida, restaurant server arrested, Lakeland waitress arrested, stolen debit card information, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Angela Borrero, Lakeland crime news, Florida fraud investigation, identity theft Florida, debit card theft, fraudulent transactions, Winter Haven spa fraud, Posh Day Spa, Lakeland breaking news, Polk County breaking news, financial crime Florida, credit card theft, Florida crime news, iSkyNews
.jpeg)
0 Comments