Banks offer various protections for both businesses and consumers. Deposit insurance, protection against electronic fund transfers, and identity theft protection are just a few of the measures banks employ to safeguard customer data and transactions from the outside world of scammers and fraudsters. Unfortunately, those same protections established to stop the fraudster lurking on the outside does not stop the fraudster lurking on the inside! Amber Towndrow was able to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from innocent consumer bank accounts, just by establishing business bank accounts, using the consumers own personal information.
Using stolen personal identifying information from at least 19 victims nationwide, Towndrow registered businesses with the Washington Secretary of State. Armed with fraudulent business documents and false identification documents such as drivers’ licenses and passports, Towndrow would then open business bank accounts at financial institutions where the victim already had a personal savings account. As a business service, and unknowingly as a conduit to fraud, the bank would link the new business bank account to the bank accounts of Towndrow’s victims. She would then transfer money from the personal bank account of the stolen identity to the fraudulent business account. Towndrow would then use a business account debit card to purchase money orders and high value goods such as designer merchandise or electronics.
Towndrow committed bank fraud and identity theft in Washington, Colorado, Pennsylvania, California, New Jersey, Indiana, and Washington D.C. And she was no ordinary fraudster. Towndrow impersonated her victims. Indeed, she memorized all the details of their lives and traveled from bank to bank impersonating them. Towndrow opened at least 50 business bank accounts and attempted to obtain $1.4 million, admitting she successfully obtained $664,000 in fraudulent proceeds.
On July 18, 2025, Towndrow was sentenced to six years in prison.
Shout out to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in this case.
Today’s Fraud of The Day is based on article “Seattle woman sentenced to 6 years for $1.4M nationwide bank fraud scheme” published by KIRO7 News on July 18, 2025.
A woman leading a nationwide bank fraud scheme that attempted to steal $1.4 million was sentenced to six years in prison on Thursday, the Department of Justice announced. Amber Towndrow, 36, acquired personal identifying information for at least 19 victims nationwide using fake IDs, impersonating victims, and used stolen information to register businesses in Washington.
Towndrow, along with co-conspirator Darby Canfield, used business documents and false identification information, such as drivers’ licenses and passports, to open business bank accounts at financial institutions that had victims’ personal savings accounts.
