The Irvine Police Department is asking the public for help identifying a woman accused of using a counterfeit California driver’s license to fraudulently obtain apartment leases. The suspect was featured in the department’s “Wanted Wednesday” series, a recurring social media post where local law enforcement shares photos and details of individuals they are trying to track down. According to police, the fake ID was convincing enough to get her through the leasing process, but not convincing enough to stop the investigation that followed.
Once she had secured a lease using the phony credentials, authorities say the suspect did not stop there. She allegedly went on to commit additional fraud crimes from inside the apartment she rented under false pretenses, essentially using one crime as the launching pad for more. It is the kind of scheme that sounds almost impressive in its ambition, right up until you remember that fake IDs and fraudulent leases are felony-level problems, not clever life hacks.
Irvine PD is asking anyone who can identify the woman to email Detective [email protected]. The department did not release additional details about how many properties were affected or how long the scheme had been running, but the tone of their post made it clear they are ready to close this case. Departments across the country regularly use these public appeals, and they can be surprisingly effective since somebody out there almost always recognizes a neighbor, coworker, or that person from the leasing office who seemed a little too eager to move in…