A Massachusetts woman has been accused by Buckingham Township Police of using a township woman’s image and personal information to make a fake license, which was used to open a bank account in New Hampshire, where she then stole and deposited the victim’s Social Security check.
Eni Monteiro, 34, of the unit block of Hancock Street, Quincy, MA, was charged this month with felony identity theft and felony forgery in the July 2024 incident in Bucks County.
Monteiro is free on $30,000 unsecured bail, per court records.
According to an affidavit, on July 5, police received a fraud report from a woman on the 4800 block of Church Road who said her $31,806 Social Security check was stolen and deposited into a Lighthouse Credit Union account in New Hampshire.
The bank account, police said, was opened with the victim’s personal information. Lighthouse Credit Union provided surveillance footage to authorities that showed Monteiro allegedly at the location on July 3 at 11:33 a.m. Police said the footage showed a woman with black hair, glasses and a distinct bird tattoo on her left arm entering the credit union at 750 Lafayette Road in Portsmouth.
In the footage, Monteiro sits down with a representative and opens a checking account using the victim’s personal information, except for the phone number, which was her own, police allege.
Furthermore, Monteiro used a Pennsylvania driver’s license with Monteiro’s photograph but the victim’s information on it, police said.
The account was successfully opened and two days later, at 12:23 p.m., the Social Security check was deposited into the account, per the affidavit.
On July 8, at 11:44 a.m., Monteiro is found on credit union surveillance entering the 1289 Hooksett Road location in Hooksett, New Hampshire, and attempted to transfer $25,000 to a Malvern, PA bank, per the complaint.
The transfer was denied, police said, and Monteiro allegedly used the victim’s information and signature to facilitate the transfer. After it was denied, Monteiro allegedly left the bank.
Monteiro has a preliminary hearing on Nov. 14 at 10:15 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Maggie Snow.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.