Oakland women suspected of check-fraud scheme in Santa Cruz

Two Oakland women suspected of using forged or stolen checks, or checks written on closed accounts to bilk unsuspecting do-gooders out of tens of thousands of dollars, were arrested in Santa Cruz on Tuesday, police reported. Dominique King, 25, and Lakecia Brandy Clayton, 32, are suspected of running a check-cashing scheme across the region, according to Santa Cruz Deputy Police Chief Rick Martinez. The women asked strangers to cash checks for them at Bank of America branches in Santa Cruz, explaining that they did not have identification with them. People deposited the phony checks in their own accounts and gave the money to King and Clayton in exchange for a small fee, Martinez reported. People did not realize the checks were bad until later. In the meantime, King and Clayton allegedly collected more than $20,000 in Santa Cruz alone, according to police. Posted in: Check Fraud