DELAND, Fla. — A Deltona woman has been arrested on allegations she used stolen banking credentials obtained through a “smishing” scam to steal more than $7,700 from a Florida Credit Union member, according to the DeLand Police Department.
Police said 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.
How Scheme Allegedly Worked
According to investigators, Reyes opened an account at a Florida Credit Union branch in DeLand on Oct. 10, 2025. Over the following two days, approximately $7,800 was transferred without authorization from the account of a credit union customer in Ocala into the newly opened account.
Police said the fraud was carried out through a “smishing” scheme, in which scammers send text messages posing as legitimate organizations in an attempt to obtain banking credentials.
Investigators said the victim received a text message appearing to come from Florida Credit Union and entered login information into a fraudulent website designed to resemble the credit union’s online banking portal.
Spreading the Funds Around
According to police, Reyes then dispersed the stolen funds through multiple 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.
Florida Credit Union reimbursed the member and was identified by police as the financial victim in the case. Authorities said the total loss was $7,782.93.
