Deltona woman arrested in credit union text-message phishing scheme

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Published  May 11, 2026 8:36pm EDT
FOX 35 Orlando
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The Brief

    • DeLand police arrested a Deltona woman accused of stealing more than $7,700 through a text-message phishing scheme.
    • Investigators said Cherice Monique Reyes used stolen banking credentials to transfer money into an account she opened at a DeLand credit union branch.
    • Police said the stolen funds were later moved through cryptocurrency and mobile payment accounts.

ORLANDO, Fla. - DeLand police have arrested a Deltona woman accused of using stolen banking credentials to fraudulently transfer more than $7,700 from a Florida credit union customer.

Cherice Monique Reyes faces charges including organized scheme to defraud, unauthorized use of personal identification information and theft following an investigation into fraudulent transactions reported in October 2025.

The backstory:

Investigators said Reyes opened an account at a Florida Credit Union branch in DeLand on Oct. 10, 2025. Over the next two days, $7,800 was transferred without authorization from the account of a customer in Ocala into the newly opened account.

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Police said the theft was carried out through a "smishing" scheme, in which scammers send text messages posing as legitimate organizations to trick victims into revealing banking credentials. The victim told investigators he received a text message appearing to come from his bank and entered his login information into a fraudulent website designed to mimic Florida Credit Union’s online portal.

According to investigators, Reyes quickly dispersed the stolen money through several channels, including transfers to a cryptocurrency wallet and a mobile payment application.

Detectives said surveillance footage, banking records and identity verification documents placed Reyes at the DeLand branch when the account was opened and at an ATM on South Woodland Boulevard during one of the transactions.

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Florida Credit Union reimbursed the customer and is listed as the financial victim in the case, police said. The total loss was $7,782.93.

Police urged the public to avoid clicking links in unsolicited text messages claiming to be from financial institutions and to contact banks directly using official phone numbers if a message appears suspicious.

The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the DeLand Police Department.

Volusia County NewsDeLandCrime and Public Safety