Jen Shah's Fraud Victims Shed Light On Her Scams As RHOSLC Star Awaits Prison Time
Jen Shah became famous for starring in Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City," but she quickly turned from a reality star to a telemarketing-scheme mastermind. In 2021, police arrested Shah and her assistant, Stuart Smith, for scamming hundreds of people out of money. "Jennifer Shah, who portrays herself as a wealthy and successful businessperson on 'reality' television, and Stuart Smith, who is portrayed as Shah's 'first assistant,' allegedly generated and sold 'lead lists' of innocent individuals for other members of their scheme to repeatedly scam," a press release by the United States Department of Justice read. Fans also saw some of the drama play out in front of the camera on the reality show.
Shah initially pleaded not guilty to the charges but changed her tune in July 2022. NBC News reported that the reality star pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. At the time, she told the court that she "knew it was wrong" and was "so sorry" for her part. In January 2023, Shah learned her fate when a judge sentenced her to six and a half years in prison. Shah's lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, released a statement following the sentencing (via People), expressing remorse on Shah's behalf. "Jen will pay her debt to society, and when she is a free woman again, she vows to pay her debt to the victims harmed by her mistakes," Chaudhry said.
Now, her victims are revealing the impact that Shah's actions have had on them.
Jen Shah's victims say they are still struggling
As Jen Shah prepares to head to prison, some of the people affected by the "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star's scam are speaking out against the disgraced star. Two victims spoke with "Good Morning America" to shed some light on how Shah took advantage of them. 75-year-old Tricia (who declined to share her last name) told the news outlet that she gave Shah $47,000 in exchange for Shah's company helping start her own business. Only that never happened. "I'm telling the world I was stupid enough to get caught in a scam, and I'm not a stupid person," the woman confessed. "Do I want to tell the world that? No, I really don't. But I don't want other people to have to go through that shame that I went through."
Tricia added that she thought the scheme seemed "legitimate," and was "shell shocked" to discover the truth. She also admitted that she just came out of a deep depression behind the scam and lost the money she needs to care for herself. Another woman, Molly McLaughlin, revealed that Shah also scammed her. "I probably spent about $44,000 on six credit cards ... all, of course, went into bankruptcy, because, of course, I couldn't afford to pay that," she confessed.
According to Vox, Shah is scheduled to head to prison on February 17, where she will serve six and a half years.