Chicago police investigating prom dress designer for theft, deceptive practice

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago police told the I-Team they are investigating a prom dress designer who is accused of not delivering dresses for teenage girls.

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The dress maker, Binta Diallo, is no stranger to the ABC 7 I-Team. As ABC7 reported last year, the designer was accused of delivering incomplete dresses.

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Customers told the I-Team Diallo has ruined prom for girls across the city. Mothers and daughters have come forward, and now Chicago police are involved.

"She scammed us! She scammed innocent people," mother Angelina Alvarado-Scott said.

The Chicago mother is livid. Alvarado-Scott said she paid Diallo $1,800 for her daughter's prom dress, but they ended up with nothing. She said it all started in October of last year when they came across Diallo's page on Instagram.

"She makes amazing dresses. She's here in Chicago. We always support our locals," Alvarado-Scott said.

But when it was finally time to pickup the dress for prom, they said Diallo wasn't there.

"The security guard told her there were other girls trying to pick up their own dresses from here, and she's no longer in that office," Alvarado-Scott said. "I almost had an anxiety attack."

Alvarado-Scott said Diallo reached out later that day, saying she is at a new address and that her website crashed and she needed time to resolve the issue and arrange a new date to deliver the dress.

'We asked her if we can go to the CPD office, we can go to Jewel's. We can go anywhere in a public place," Alvarado-Scott said.

Shortly after that, Alvarado-Scott said she was blocked.

"You really broke my heart, and I'm just an 18 year old who wanted her dress," Alvarado-Scott's daughter, Cataline Scott, said.

Akisha Richard said her daughter was left heartbroken as well. She said she paid Diallo $1700, but when it was time to pickup the dress, the designer wouldn't send her the location.

On the day of prom, Richard said Diallo resurfaced with an address for pickup, but she never came outside.

"I started crying, 'please Lord, don't let this be happening to me,'" Richard said.

Both mothers filed reports with the Chicago Police Department. CPD told the I-Team they are investigating Diallo for theft and deceptive practice.

ABC7 spoke with Diallo over the phone, but she did not want to provide a statement. The mothers say all they want now is a refund.

CPD is encouraging anyone who believes they have a complaint about Diallo to contact Area Three detectives at 312-744-8263.