Woman Discovers Her MIL Is a Victim of 'RHOSLC' Jen Shah and Her Insidious Fraud Schemes

In 2023, Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah was sentenced to prison for a telemarketing scam. It seemed, to the world, as though her fraud impacts had come to an end and all that was left was to patch up the damage left behind.

But one woman shared a video to TikTok that shows the effects are still ongoing.

The woman, a user who calls herself @jesookie, shared what seemed like an innocuous scroll through her mother-in-law (MIL)'s email and turned into a moment when she discovered that her loved one had been a victim of a Jen Shah scam. Here's what we know.

On TikTok, @jesookie shared that her mother-in-law moved in with herself and her husband, and she suffers from brain damage. As a result, @jesookie and her husband go through her mother-in-law's emails and care for any important issues, as well as automate and ensure bills are paid.

She came across an e-mail from the Department of Justice which she, at first, dismissed as spam. However, after noting an inmate number and reading the e-mail, it became quickly apparent that this was something entirely different. At first, @jesookie was confused because the DoJ was writing about an inmate in Texas, while her mother-in-law is from Philadelphia and lived in Charleston, but had no ties to Texas.

The inmate in question? None other than Jen Shah.

The e-mail was an automated notification from the Victim Notification System, alerting @jesookie's mother-in-law that they believed she was a victim of fraud perpetrated by Jen.

Ironically, @jesookie shared that the only Housewives franchise series that she's ever watched just so happened to be RHOSLC. And now, Jen whose guilt she originally doubted turns out to have victimized someone close to her. The irony is palpable.

While Jen may be behind bars, the damage she caused is fresh.

It all started in March 2021, when Jen and her assistant were arrested and charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing. They were accused of victimizing at least 10 people over the age of 55. Jen and her assistant, Stuart Smith, were also charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The duo pleaded not guilty during an arraignment in April 2021. However, Stuart changed his plea to guilty in November 2021. Initially, Jen maintained her innocence and "not guilty" plea, but on July 11, 2022, she pleaded guilty to criminal fraud charges.

Originally, Jen was facing the possibility of 30 years in prison. But a plea deal lessened that to just 78 months when she was sentenced on Jan. 6, 2023.

She is set to be released on July 1, 2028.

However, as @jesookie's story proves, the die may be cast but the damage is far from healed.

As Jen serves her time in prison, victims will be identified and potentially offered compensation for what they suffered as they attempt to heal from the money she stole from them. They will also have to reclaim the peace of mind she shattered when they realized that someone whose endorsement they thought they could trust was just there for their money.