Imagine how desperate you must be to use Zelle to try to get in touch with your ex. But that is exactly what Dustin Francis Haxho did to try to get in touch with his ex-girlfriend, who wanted nothing to do with him.
He Used Hundreds Of Burner Phones and Zelle – “You’re At Your Aunt’s House In Doral”
According to a recent indictment, Dustin Haxho found a sinister workaround when his ex-girlfriend blocked his phone number. He began sending her $1 payments through Zelle, using the payment note field to continue his campaign of harassment.
According to the criminal complaint, his harassment campaign began in August 2024 after the end of their relationship. When his ex-girlfriend blocked his number following 15 missed calls and threatening voicemails, he pivoted to alternative contact methods.
From September 16 to October 16, he repeatedly sent $1 payments to her through his Zelle account, using the transaction notes to send threatening messages.
In one particularly chilling instance on September 17, he used the payment note to reveal that he knew she was “at your aunt’s house in Doral, ” showing that he was tracking her location.
She Was A Law Enforcement Officer With Broward County
One of the most unusual parts of the case is that his ex-girlfriend was a law enforcement officer. The FBI didn’t take action until they received a tip in early October.
The Zelle payments were only part of his campaign of terror against her. He used other tactics to try to reach her as well.
He used over 50 burner phones (yes, 50) to send hundreds of messages to her, sending over 90 messages from a single phone number. He also appeared uninvited at her residence multiple times.
He Admitted He Used Zelle To Bypass Communication Blocks
When Haxho was arrested at his workplace in Deerfield Beach on October 28, he admitted to police that he used the Zelle payment strategy to bypass communication blocks.
“This is what I needed to get over [the victim],” he stated. He also told police that “it wouldn’t have ended without being arrested.”
This case highlights the need for payment apps like Zelle to protect users from harassment better through their platforms.
While most apps allow users to block others from sending payments, the ability to send messages through payment notes remains a vulnerability that stalkers can exploit.