A Hyattsville, Maryland, man is accused of changing the mailing addresses on the bank accounts of more than 40 seniors, ordering debit cards in their names and using them for more than 1,500 ATM withdrawals. Roy Dave Davis, 34, was charged with bank fraud by criminal complaint, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced on Sept. 21. Prosecutors say the victims averaged 81 years old.

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What prosecutors say Davis did

According to the Justice Department, Davis began in May 2023 by getting personal information on customers of a financial institution that the release does not name. He then changed the mailing addresses on their accounts to addresses he controlled in Maryland. With the account mail going to him, he ordered debit cards in the victims’ names.

The complaint says the cards were used for ATM withdrawals and direct purchases. Prosecutors put the ATM total at more than 1,500 withdrawals netting more than $1 million, plus more than $100,000 in luxury fashion purchases. They also say he obtained and used debit cards belonging to small businesses, deceased individuals and a charter school.

The redirected mail is the key step. A new debit card, a replacement PIN notice and an account statement all arrive by mail, and an account holder who is not getting that mail may not know a card exists. The release does not say how the victims’ information was first obtained.

How families can spot a redirected account

Cases like this start with personal details, and the release does not say where these came from. Names, ages and addresses are commonly listed on people-search sites and data broker lists, and Incogni sends removal requests to those brokers for you.

Signs that account mail may have been redirected are practical ones. A bank statement stops arriving. A debit card shows up that was never requested. A letter confirming an address change appears for a move that never happened.

The Postal Inspection Service’s mail theft guidance says that someone expecting a check or card that does not arrive should contact the sender right away. It advises picking up mail promptly and, for people who move, filing a change of address with the Postal Service and telling financial institutions.

The people named in the case

U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes announced the charge and commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for its investigative work, with Postal Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood taking part in the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Jaskiw and Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan S. McKoy are prosecuting.

The maximum penalty for bank fraud is 30 years in federal prison. The release adds that actual federal sentences are typically less than the maximum, and that a judge decides after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. It also says a criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt, and Davis is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a later proceeding.

Freezes and alerts that cost nothing

The Federal Trade Commission says a credit freeze costs nothing to place or lift. It has to be placed with each of the three bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, one at a time. A freeze stays until it is lifted. An initial fraud alert is also free, lasts one year and can be renewed, and it needs only one call because that bureau notifies the other two.

Someone who has already been a victim has a stronger option. The FTC says an extended fraud alert lasts seven years and is open to people who have filed an identity theft report at IdentityTheft.gov or a police report. It also takes just one call, because the bureau contacted notifies the other two. A freeze and an alert protect credit files, though, and the accounts that were drained in this case were existing bank accounts, so the bank is the first call and the credit bureaus come second.

What to check if account mail goes missing

The first move is a call to the bank, using the number printed on a card or a statement, to ask whether the mailing address on file matches the home address and whether any new cards have been ordered. If the address has changed, ask the bank to freeze the cards, and have it send a written record of the change.

Mail-related crimes can be reported to postal inspectors online at uspis.gov/report or by phone at 1-877-876-2455. A family member helping an older relative can also review statements together once a month, looking for withdrawals at ATMs in places the relative has not been.

Keep a note of dates, card numbers’ last four digits and each person spoken to. The Justice Department’s complaint is only an accusation so far, and the case is in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.

Where cases like this find their targets

The release says Davis got personal information on customers of a financial institution, and people-search sites list names, ages and addresses in the open. Incogni asks data brokers and people-search sites to remove personal information, sends removal requests on a person’s behalf and keeps re-sending them. Less personal data on broker lists can mean fewer scam calls, texts and emails, and the status of each request shows in the account.

Send removal requests to people-search sites with Incogni →

This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.