Colorado man's TikTok of woman posing as his wife and trying to withdraw $28K from their bank unveils $200K theft spree

Yahoo

3 days ago

A woman walked into several Colorado banks, posed as customers and stole around $199,000. Victims continue to struggle with the aftermath of the theft, while authorities believe additional cases will be uncovered as the investigation progresses.
In a 9News interview, Mariah Rapp recounts how she had just started her morning when she got a jarring phone call from her local bank.
'A woman came in with a driver's license with your name and address on it and tried to take out $28,000 from your line of credit,' a banker told her.
Luckily, Rapp was well-known at her Adams Bank & Trust branch in Longmont, Colorado. The banker sensed something was off and denied the transaction.
'He was like, 'For some reason, I just thought, that's not the Mariah that comes in here. Something's off.'' Mariah recalled the banker's words.
The would-be thief walked out empty-handed — but not unnoticed. The bank gave Rapp a photo of the woman who had tried to impersonate her. Calm and chatty, she had claimed to be starting a business.
Rapp's husband, a TikToker, posted about the incident, and the video quickly went viral.
'Would you mind maybe not going into my bank with a fake ID that you had made with all of my wife's information on it?' he said in the video.
That TikTok would ultimately expose a crime wave.
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Used a fake ID
Shan Murphy saw the viral video and felt a chill. Her bank had just emailed her, thanking her for a visit she never made. When she checked her account, $88,000 was gone.
'She has an ID with her picture, but my information on it,' Murphy said. The woman looked nothing like her.
Then came Levi, the third known victim. He noticed two charges on his banking app: A $111,000 cashier's check and $25,000 in cash, totalling $136,000 withdrawn from his Longmont bank account. Someone also applied for a $50,000 personal loan in his name, but was denied.
'This is like modern bank robbery,' Levi said.
In total, at least four known victims have come forward, all from different banks. Police believe the suspect used high-quality fake IDs, social engineering and confidence to convince tellers she was someone else. Investigators say a cashier's check from Levi's account was even cashed at a bank in Connecticut using yet another state ID.
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How to stay vigilant against identity theft
The crimes involve both identity theft — the use of someone else's personal information to commit fraud — and wire fraud, the use of telecommunications or the internet to defraud someone of money.
Wire fraud often happens through email or phishing, but it can also occur in person when someone triggers financial transactions through deception. Longmont Police released the suspect's photo, and banks launched internal investigations. Some victims have received promises of reimbursement.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, identity theft affected over 2.6 million Americans in 2024, with $12.5 billion in losses tied to fraud.
To guard against this type of fraud:
Visit your bank regularly: In-person interactions build familiarity with staff who may recognize unusual behavior.
Protect your accounts: Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all financial accounts.
Freeze your credit reports: Lock your credit files with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to prevent unauthorized accounts from being opened in your name.
Stay vigilant: Monitor accounts daily for suspicious activity.
Use notifications: Set transaction alerts to flag unusual amounts or out-of-state withdrawals.
Most importantly, trust your gut. As Rapp's banker proved, sometimes it just takes one vigilant person to stop a significant crime.
If you recognize the woman in the released photos, contact the Longmont Police Department. Investigators believe more victims may still come forward.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
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