A former Citibank office employee was been charged with stealing $12,500 from a bank customer in northwest suburban Bloomingdale.
Gladys Alcala, 34, of the 900 block of Sunnydale Boulevard in Streamwood, was charged with one felony count of aggravated identity theft and two counts of theft, according to a statement from the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office.
In September 2014, a 66-year-old man, who does not speak English, went to the bank and spoke with Alcala because she speaks Spanish, according to the statement.
Alcala allegedly convinced the man to cancel a current credit card, to open a new credit card and to open a line of credit with the bank. She told the man she would take his old credit card to destroy it, but instead she made more than 24 unauthorized charges that totaled $4,500, according to the statement.
She allegedly used the man’s line of credit and opened and used an additional line of credit under the man’s name without his knowledge. It is alleged that she also forged checks to herself from the man’s checking account, according to the statement. Authorities believe the thefts took place from late 2014 to April 2015.
The man received calls regarding a delinquent line of credit that Alcala opened using his identity, and he contacted authorities to report the call, according to the statement.
On Jan. 12, Alcala posted bond. She is scheduled to appear in court Feb. 1.