ID theft victim
loses $24,000
The Aikahi Elementary teacher's
bank refunds her money, but
she still has checking troubles
Sherri Denis said she was surrounded by her Aikahi Elementary School kindergartners when she learned that someone had siphoned $24,000 from her family's checking account by stealing and using her identity.
Her response wasn't anything a teacher wants her pupils to hear.
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"All my kids were around me, and I had to leave. ... I couldn't think with $24,000 gone. I felt violated."
Police are investigating the case as a felony theft.
Denis was first alerted that someone had stolen her identity on June 2 when American Savings Bank employees at Stadium Mall told her about a woman who tried to withdraw more than $3,000 from Denis' account using fake identification that said she was Sheri Denis.
Though alert tellers stopped the transaction after they became suspicious, Denis did not learn until the next day at work that somehow prior to the Halawa incident, the suspect had already made off with $24,000 of her money.
Since then, American Savings has credited the Denises' account with the money she and her husband lost. However, the nightmare continues because the suspect is still using Denis' identity to open bank accounts and bounce bad checks in her name.
"I was at Nordstrom Rack on Aug. 5, and they wouldn't accept it (her check)," Denis said. "It turned out she opened up another account at First Hawaiian Bank and bounced checks, and now no one will accept my checks.
"I made another police report after that. ... I don't know how long it'll take, but I want my name cleared. I'm so angry ... I want to beat her up."
Denis is not sure how or when her identity was stolen, but police said they believe once the suspect had her fake credentials, she moved quickly, first opening up an account at the Kapolei American Savings branch on June 1 in Denis' name, then withdrawing $3,500 from her account and placing it into the savings account opened by the impostor. The same ploy failed, however, when the suspect tried it the next day at the Stadium Mall American Savings bank.
During those two days, the suspect got $24,000 of Denis' money into her own accounts.
"It's one of those things that's just increasing exponentially," said financial fraud Detective Jon Nakashima. "Robbing banks will soon be a thing of the past. ... Criminals are realizing they can make more money stealing this way."
The suspect is described as in her 30s to early 40s, with a heavy build, blond hair and brown eyes. According to Denis, the fake identification the suspect was using misspelled her first name by having only one "r" in "Sherri" and listed the wrong birth year, 1965 instead of 1969.
Anyone with information about this suspect is asked to call Detective Nakashima at 529-3388. Anonymous calls may also be made to CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or by dialing *CRIME on a cellular phone.
Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers