A Hampton woman stands charged in Williamsburg of using her Wachovia bank teller position to access customer information and open fraudulent credit card accounts in their names for a commission.
On the severity scale of identity theft — a crime the Federal Trade Commission says victimizes nine million Americans each year — the case involving Jamey Leigh Brown is relatively minor.
But it illustrates how easily a person’s vital information can be compromised.
Both identity theft charges against Brown, 24, of the 100 block of Derby Road, are misdemeanors because the alleged crimes involved less than $200 — no charges were applied to the fraudulent cards, said Deputy Williamsburg Police Chief David Sloggie.
Sloggie said Brown — a “roving” teller who moved among Wachovia’s Hampton Roads banks — is accused of opening separate credit card accounts in the names of two Williamsburg residents in order to collect a $12 per account commission.
Read more on The Daily Press. This is a bit unusual because the motive was the commission and not the misuse of the card itself.