• A 73-year-old woman, Mary Carole McDonnell, is wanted for allegedly scamming nearly $30 million from financial institutions.
• McDonnell posed as an heiress to the McDonnell Aircraft family, claiming access to an $80 million trust fund.
• She reportedly defrauded Banc of California out of $14.7 million and additional institutions for a total loss exceeding $30 million.
• Authorities believe McDonnell is currently in Dubai and she has been placed on the FBI's Most Wanted list.

Mary Carole McDonnell, a 73-year-old woman, is the subject of an FBI manhunt after allegedly scamming nearly $30 million from several financial institutions in California. Between July 2017 and May 2018, McDonnell posed as an heiress to the McDonnell family of the now-defunct McDonnell Aircraft corporation, claiming she would inherit an $80 million trust fund. This ruse has led to substantial financial losses for banks, including $14.7 million taken from Banc of California alone, according to The Hill and Los Angeles Times.

McDonnell utilized her last name to convince others of her fabricated wealth, exploiting the reputation of the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, known for its contributions to military aviation and aerospace. The FBI alleges that she pulled off this scheme through various fraudulent tactics, accruing an additional $15 million from other financial institutions. She was allegedly able to extract funds by convincing bank employees of her imminent access to vast wealth, which never materialized, according to SFGate.

Despite being the subject of a federal arrest warrant issued in December 2018 on charges of aggravated identity theft and bank fraud, McDonnell vanished before authorities could apprehend her. The FBI now believes she may be residing in Dubai and has placed her on their Most Wanted list. McDonnell had previously served as the CEO of Bellum Entertainment LLC, which has come under scrutiny for wage-related issues, adding another layer to her controversial history, as noted by The Hill, Los Angeles Times, and SFGate.