A Schuylkill County man recently fell victim to identity theft and a check-cashing scheme.
According to police, the incident reportedly occurred at the M&T Bank in Middletown, Orange County, New York. It was there, on June 21, that Christopher Potoma, 36, of Bronx, NY, allegedly cashed a check in the name of and into the account of a Schuylkill County man.
The check was valued at $7,860.75. Potoma forged the Schuylkill County man’s information on a deposit ticket and received $2,000 from the victim’s account. Police say Potoma used a fake passport with his face but the victim’s information to pull off this transaction.
On June 23, Potoma reportedly went to the same branch of M&T Bank and tried to cash an additional check – written out for $8985.50 – but was refused service by the teller as the bank suspected fraud, police say.
A fraud investigator with M&T Bank and Bensalem Police Dept. were able to positively identify Potoma. He’s currently being held at Bucks County Prison on unrelated charges, police say.
A warrant for Potoma’s arrest has been issued in Schuylkill County. He’s being charged with felony charges of forgery, theft, and identity theft.
Subscribe to Coal Region Canary
Get email updates from Coal Region Canary by becoming a subscriber today. Just enter your email address below to get started!Support Coal Region Canary
Like our reporting and want to support truly local news in Schuylkill County? Your small donations help. For as little as $5, your contribution will allow us to cover more news that directly affects you. Consider donating today by hitting the big yellow button below ...