Katy salon owners warning others about woman scamming stylists out of thousands of dollars through Cash App

Two small business owners in Katy, Texas are warning others about a woman who hacked into their phones to steal money. The woman had requested appointments with both businesses, an act that they usually welcomed as part of their customer service. However, they believe that the woman was more interested in conducting fraudulent transactions, rather than booking appointments.

In the first salon, Lightning Braids, owner Mary Buoc-Anyuon said that the woman requested to see her Instagram portfolio, which Buoc-Anyuon showed her on her phone. After this incident, Buoc-Anyuon received an alert that the woman had attempted to transfer thousands of dollars to herself from her Cash App account. The woman was only able to steal $600 in total after the first transaction of $3,000 did not go through. Buoc-Anyuon said that she was more trusting of customers before this incident and now warns others to be cautious of this woman.

Meanwhile, Mary Stella Bee, the owner of Stellus Braids Salon, also believed that the same woman stole her credit card information on the same day. Bee said that the woman attempted to spend thousands of dollars during an online shopping spree but was declined by her bank. Like Buoc-Anyuon, Bee believed that the woman was interested in her business in a legitimate way, requesting an appointment for her daughter, who has autism.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is now investigating the case as a theft. FOX 26 did not release the woman’s name as no charges have been pressed against her yet. Small business owners are urged to be cautious of requests made by potential customers and to verify their identities before releasing any information about themselves or their business operations.