A woman was found allegedly using a phone app to take photos of her paycheck, make a deposit, collect money and later cashing the checks again.
According to Chase Bank, Karlyle Alvino went to ATM machines at the bank and cashed the checks after having cashed them through the phone app, in a fraud where she got paid twice numerous times.
"What I learned is that fraud is super easy to occur and nothing gets done about it," said Jolie Glassman, the owner of South Beach Boxing and Alvino’s former boss, who gave her the checks.
Glassman and police say what happened to her is the result of smart banking features.
Chase Bank said that Alvino took money from her former boss’ account and used Chase's smart banking options to do it.
But Chase sent her former employer an email saying that her “ex-employee is committing fraud by using the quick deposit picture option, and then submitting a deposit at the bank several months later. I would suggest coming into the branch to protect the different options to protect the account."
Alvino hasn't been charged with a crime and denies any wrongdoing. But her former boss said Alvino cleverly used her smartphone to double her pay multiple times.
“So I think it’s crazy,” Glassman said. “If you could take a picture of a check and the bank does nothing about it. No nothing. "
Glassman said that instead of keeping an eye on the fitness classes, she's been tracking down the fraud she claims Alvino committed.
“I saw that these checks that were cashed in July were also cashed in April and May,” Glassman said. “So I was like wait a second these are the same checks and I started digging back to find out how the same check was cashed twice."
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Glassman's bank records show that a photo deposit on a $435 paycheck was made with the smart photo app March 29 – and the same check was cashed at the ATM June 28.
The records show Alvino took pictures of four paychecks in the spring – and then on the same day this summer, July 2, cashed all four of them again.
Glassman says Alvino collected over $2,000 she wasn't entitled to.
“I would love to press charges and it’s not right that she should get away with it,” Glassman said. “Everyone might as well do it if they are going to get away with it.”
Miami Beach Police spokeswoman Det. Vivian Hernandez said that people are using this technology to their advantage defrauding the banks.
“Anytime there is new technology detectives become aware of, it’s something that can become a crime,” Hernandez said. “If it’s not in the right hands you may be defrauded."
During a phone interview with NBC 6, Alivino said it’s all a mistake and that she has committed no fraud.
She claims to have forgotten which payroll checks she used the smart app to deposit in the spring and said she figured the bank wouldn't allow her to cash the checks twice – but the ATM deposits went through with no trouble.
But Glassman said the combination of phone apps and ATMs is trouble.
"The bank told me they are not supposed to be able to cash it again,” Glassman said. “Well wonderful, supposed to didn't really come to fruition. She was able to.”
"I think the bank should just cancel that app," she said.
The bank eventually refunded Glassman the money. She called police and they told her that Chase has to be the one to press charges against the woman.
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