Former Bank Employee Charged With Stealing and Selling Customer Account and Identity Information

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Kalien Frazier, 29, of Oakland, California, was charged today by indictment with six counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft for a bank insider scheme, in which he used his position as a bank employee to access, misappropriate, and sell bank customer account and identity information.

As alleged in the indictment, from on or about March 30, 2022, until on or about August 30, 2023, Frazier used his position as a customer service representative at a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)-insured bank to obtain the account details, debit card details, card verification value (CVV), and personal identifying information of customers. Frazier would ask for this information from customers, even if not required to complete the customer service request, while on recorded customer service calls. After Frazier had obtained this information, he advertised in group chats that he had bank account information for sale due to his position at a financial institution. When advertising the information for sale, Frazier warned potential customers that they would have to stay under certain monetary thresholds to avoid detection.

As alleged in the indictment, Frazier sold or transferred information on hundreds of bank accounts to third parties. As a result of Frazier’s scheme, unauthorized electronic payments and transfers were made from hundreds of bank accounts.

If convicted on all counts, Frazier faces a possible maximum sentence of 120 years in prison for the wire fraud, plus a mandatory minimum sentence of two years for aggravated identity theft.

This case was investigated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) – Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Lanni.