2 Louisiana women allegedly stole over $1M from USAA Bank members

Louisiana law enforcement is searching for a third suspect.

USAA’s is one of largest employers locally and is headquartered at a huge campus in San Antonio.

Steven Santana | MySA

Shreveport, Louisiana investigators say two women worked together through a third-party company to obtain USAA Bank members’ information to allegedly steal over $1 million. ZarRajah Watkins and Destane Glass were arrested this month and Shreveport law enforcement are still looking for a third person in connection to the alleged theft, according to the Shreveport Times.

Watkins worked for a third-party company called Teleperformance, an outsourcing business that offers customer service, accounting, and collections services to companies. The company has worked with big clients like Santander, Wish, and GrubHub, according to its website. USAA’s financial and insurance services are offered to active military members, veterans and their families. 

The Caddo-Shreveport Financial Crimes Task Force began its investigation in September. Watkins allegedly used the company’s resources to obtain USAA Bank member info and then sell it to Glass, who would use it to defraud numerous bank members out of their money. Glass used the money to buy a home, an expensive car, and other items. 

Watkins was arrested on November 17 and charged with 175 counts of identity theft, while Glass was arrested on November 22 and charged with 65 counts of identity theft.

Brad Russell with USAA Bank said in a statement that it can’t comment on the details of the fraud but is aware of the case and  is working with law enforcement.

“We take member security and trust very seriously and are working directly with impacted members to make sure that any impact or inconvenience to them is minimized,” Russell said in the statement.

On Monday, November 28, Shreveport police issued an arrest warrant for the arrest of 22-year-old Eric Loud, reported Louisiana station KTBS. Loud is being charged with 58 counts of identity theft. 

Russell says USAA Bank members should take precaution whenever working with third-party companies that request banking information. These precautions include:

  • If you’re contacted by someone claiming to be family and asking for financial information, hang up and call your bank or family member directly.
  • Never give out personal information to someone who contacts you. Never send cash, gift cards or transfer money to people you don’t personally know.
  • Check your bank statements or online accounts on a regular basis. If you see any unauthorized activity, contact your bank or financial institution immediately.
  • If it feels “too good to be true” or a little fishy, it probably is.
  • If you fall victim to a scam, call the police and make a report.

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