A woman was recently arrested in Hayward, California, for allegedly leading an identity theft ring that may have affected thousands.
Mishel Caviness-Williams, 40, was charged with 20 counts of identity theft, and is currently held on $400,000 bail, according to the Oakland Tribune. She was arrested by Oakland police after an investigation lasting five months.
Police found card printers and laptops in her apartment, as well as more than 900 blank cards that could be made into fake credit, debit, ATM or gift cards, according to the news source. In addition, a large book of checks with no bank or person’s names on them was also discovered.
The police inquiry began after an employee at the city of Oakland found someone was using her account information on a check, the news source said. Other checks cashed in the area that was found to be similar.
The investigation was led by Sergeant Barry Donelan and Officer Ryan Goodfellow, with the help of the U.S. Secret Service, the report added.
Consumers should be cautious with their information, and report any suspicious account activity to their bank, and to authorities.