Three bank employees have been accused of stealing cash and selling customer data, causing nearly $1 million in losses for JPMorgan Chase and Citi.
Citi Teller Sells Customer Information
Tanya Jazmin Cortez, a former Citi bank teller in California, is accused of selling confidential customer information to a third party for cash. Cortez allegedly pocketed $4,560, and the sale resulted in $348,487 in losses due to check fraud between November 2020 and May 2022.
JPMorgan Banker Steals Cash with Coworker
Leronne Kornegay, an associate banker at a JPMorgan Chase branch in New York City, is accused of stealing cash with an unnamed coworker. The pair allegedly falsified records to cover the theft, resulting in a loss of at least $201,785 for the bank between January 2020 and June 2021.
Citi Employee Impersonates Sister to Access Fraud Department
Lexus Inez Lewis, a former Citi employee who left her job in the collections department, allegedly pretended to be her sister and was re-hired to work in the bank’s fraud department. Lewis is accused of allowing fraudulent transactions on compromised credit cards by suspending security measures. This resulted in 672 unauthorized transactions totaling $389,127.74 in losses for the bank between September 2022 and March 2023.
These incidents highlight the importance of strong security measures and employee vetting processes within financial institutions.
