Irvine Police are asking the public to help identify a woman accused of using someone else's personal information to pull more than $2,500 in cash from bank branches across Orange County. Detectives say the suspect moved between multiple locations before investigators caught up with the scheme, and now they're turning to a familiar tool to close the case: a public plea for tips.
The department published the appeal Wednesday as part of its weekly #WantedWednesday series, a recurring effort the agency uses to crowdsource leads on unsolved property crimes, according to Irvine Police Department. Per that post, the suspect used the victim's personal information to fraudulently withdraw the cash from several banks throughout Orange County. Anyone with information is asked to contact Investigator Bennett at [email protected].
The case raises questions about how the suspect was able to make withdrawals at multiple branches. It remains unclear exactly how she did so.
What Charges Could Follow an Arrest
If identified and arrested, the woman could face criminal charges.
The alleged withdrawals totaled more than $2,500.
Orange County criminal defense attorneys note that local prosecutors routinely stack identity theft charges with additional felony counts like grand theft, commercial burglary, or forgery when fraudulent withdrawals span multiple bank branches, according to a California criminal defense attorney cited by californiacriminaldefender.com. Financial crimes that cross city boundaries within the county often trigger these combined charges.
A Wider Pattern of Fraud Losses
The Irvine case lands amid a broader national surge in impersonation-based fraud. Consumers reported losing $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025, part of more than $12.5 billion in total fraud losses reported in 2024, according to Federal Trade Commission data. Identity theft complaints like the one at the center of this investigation are tracked centrally through the federal government's IdentityTheft.gov portal.
Irvine has built a reputation as one of the safest cities of its size in the country, ranking first for the 18th consecutive year in FBI per capita violent crime data for cities over 250,000 residents compiled for 2022, according to the City of Irvine. But that record centers on violent crime; property and financial crimes, including fraud schemes like this one, still reach the city regularly.
A Previous Public Appeal
A prior #WantedWednesday post featured the image of a Monrovia man who was arrested in June 2024 on suspicion of residential burglaries in Irvine, a case Hoodline previously covered.
The department has also issued a #WantedWednesday appeal to identify a man accused of taking upskirt photos at an H Mart on Alton Parkway. For now, the identity of the woman accused in this bank fraud case remains unknown, and the department is asking the public for help.
