Online Banking

She still couldn't shake the previous night's dream. Lori had dreamed that she was so poor that she lived in an alley, digging through trashcans for food. That's why she refused to live in poverty for the rest of her life. She was tired of being poor and having to struggle while others lived comfortably, so she devised a surefire plan that would guarantee her a life of luxury. She would pretend to be an experienced nanny, complete with fake credentials and former employers. After being hired, she would move in and immediately begin examining all of their bank and credit card statements. She would then use the information to gain access to their bank accounts, and withdraw money at her leisure. After she had obtained all the cash that she could before getting caught, she'd move to another area and become a nanny for another unsuspecting family.

To Lori's amazement, everything was going just as planned. She had become a "nanny" for three wealthy families, and had gotten quite a bit of cash. She was able to buy a new Corvette, a complete wardrobe, and some other fine possessions. Now if she could only find one more rich family, she would be able to live worry-free while she decided what to do with her life.

Lori decided to move to Florida to find a well-to-do family that needed a nanny, and she really lucked out when she met the Smiths. Sarah and Bob Smith were business owners who traveled frequently. They had upcoming business in Oregon and were desperate for a nanny for their six-week-old twin girls.

After "verifying" her phony references, the Smith's hired her on the spot. Lori was delighted to discover that Bob and Sarah banked online, making it easier for her to access their accounts. It wasn't difficult for her to figure out their passwords, the twin's names. How stupid of them, she thought deviously.

Lori made plans to leave after one final transfer. She'd overheard Sarah talking to someone on the telephone about money missing from her account, so she knew her days with the Smiths were numbered.

That morning when Bob and Sarah left, Lori attempted to log into their bank account, yet the system was inaccessible until the next day. She had to get the money immediately, so she decided to call the bank instead of waiting. She was told that someone would call her back when a representative was available.

She was becoming rather anxious because it was taking the bank such a long time to have someone call back. After feeding the babies, she took them upstairs for a nap and tried to decide what to do next. She really needed this extra cash before she left, and she was sure that the money was there because the last time she checked the account balance, there was a substantial amount available.

Just as was walking back downstairs, the phone rang, and Lori barely answered it before it stopped ringing. It was the bank, and she grabbed Sarah's bank information as she turned off the answering machine, which had picked up at the same time she answered.

"Mrs. Smith?"

"Yes, this is Mrs. Smith," Lori answered with a smile on her face. It was going to work out after all, she thought as she gave the bank representative the information necessary to complete the transaction.

The next day as Lori was packing her things to leave, the Smiths came home unexpectedly. Lori was surprised when she heard Sarah's voice. "Lori, could you come downstairs for a moment, please?"

When she reached the living room, Lori was even more surprised to find two uniformed police officers standing in the living room.

"Are you Lori Williamston?" The taller of the two officers asked.

"Uh...yes, officer," Lori stammered. "What's the problem?"

"We're here to arrest you. Apparently you've stolen large sums of money from several of Mr. and Mrs. Smith's bank accounts."

Lori took a deep breath, attempting to deflect the panic that threatened to overcome her. "There must be some mistake. I didn't steal money from them."

"Well, we have proof that you did steal the money." The officer removed a flash disk from his pocket, inserted it into his laptop and played one of the files.

Lori stood there in total disbelief as she listened to the telephone conversation she'd had with the bank representative on the previous day. Evidently, she'd hit the wrong button in attempt to turn off the answering machine, and it had recorded the entire conversation.

"Mrs. Smith claims it's your voice on there impersonating her while transferring a considerable amount of money into your personal bank account," the officer said as he handcuffed Lori and led her outside to the squad car.