KINSTON, N.C. (WITN) – A Kinston woman is facing charges in Illinois after police say she redirected thousands of dollars from dozens of people to her bank accounts.
Police in Goodfield, Illinois, launched an investigation in November after a woman reported that someone had redirected approximately $8,300 of her paychecks to unknown bank accounts.
Police learned through search warrants that the accounts contained additional deposits from more than 30 victims totaling around $39,000.
Laylah Blount was identified as the suspect during the investigation.
Goodfield police traveled to North Carolina on March 30th and served a search warrant at Blount’s house with Kinston police.
Officers found Blount at the home and seized several electronics.
The 19-year-old was arrested and charged with aggravated identity theft, theft over $500 and fraudulent use of electronic transmissions.
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This remains the most prevalent form of financial crime globally. It targets the direct access points to your money: your cards and your bank accounts.
- Skimming: Criminals use small devices called “skimmers” placed over ATM or point-of-sale card slots to capture the data from your card’s magnetic strip.
- Card-Not-Present (CNP) Fraud: This occurs during online shopping where a physical card isn’t required. Thieves use stolen card numbers, expiry dates, and CVV codes to make unauthorized purchases.
- Account Takeover (ATO): A hacker gains access to your online banking credentials (often through malware or phishing) and changes the contact details or passwords, locking you out while they drain your funds.