ORANGE CO., Fla.,None — The Florida Department of Law Enforcement's (FDLE) top agent is the victim of identity theft, and she told Eyewitness News she believes the crooks somehow got her personal information online.
Joyce Dawley runs the Orlando region of the FDLE, and was sitting on her computer in her office on a Tuesday in June, when money began disappearing from her bank account before her eyes.
"Twenty-seven hundred dollars had just been debited from that account, another $1,300 came out, by the time I was done talking on the phone, another $1,000 had come out," said Dawley.
More than $5,000 disappeared from her account in mere minutes, as someone 1,100 miles away in New York City withdrew her money.
The woman accused of stealing the money walked into a Manhattan bank, said she had lost her purse but had Dawley's social security number, name, and account number, which she passed off as her own. After withdrawing thousands of dollars, the woman walked down the street to another bank and did the exact same thing.
Dawley told Eyewitness News she believes someone hacked into her information online.
"I had not lost my wallet, I had not had anything stolen, no one broke into my home or my car," said Dawley.
Orlando police investigated the case, which has since been turned over to authorities in New York.
Florida is one of the two top states for identity theft, with millions of people falling victim each year.
WFTV
