HOUSTON – A 71-year-old woman has lost nearly $100,000 after a stranger got access to her checking account and Houston Police have tied at least $35,000 of the stolen money to a man who is now wanted.
Cleophus James, 41, is charged with felony theft from an elderly person. A warrant for his arrest was filed Friday. Records show he has not been taken into custody.
The victim, a widow, told KPRC 2 she stopped paying attention to her account activity and thought her money was safe. She was grief-stricken after the loss of her husband, who she called the love of her life.
“I just let things go. It was like nothing else mattered to me,” she said, requesting that KPRC 2 conceal her identity.
In March 2023, she got an alert that a Wells Fargo checking account balance had dropped to $0.
“I was overwhelmed. I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I didn’t even hardly touch that account.”
She said the bank couldn’t offer much help despite discovering an estimated $95,738 in fraudulent charges, according to court records. In April 2023, she reported it to HPD.
Investigators went through bank records and linked James to at least $35,183.86 of the fraudulent charges. According to records, he used the woman’s debit card number to make the purchases.
“He ruined my feeling of security in banks,” she said.
According to records, James spent at least $28,404 on renovations to a home he rented from a family member. $1,350 went toward catering a party at the house. Another $1,226 was spent on Lyft rides. And James allegedly used her debit card number to pay three City of Houston traffic tickets at a cost of $1,397.92.
Experts say the money likely can’t be recovered.
“Everybody should at least have the eyes on their accounts once a month,” said Tim Howard, managing partner at Fortify Partners.
Howard recommends the following tips:
- Set up text alerts for every purchase made using a debit or card
- Get replacement card once a year to minimize fraud risk
- Report suspicious bank activity immediately
- Vary online passwords for financial accounts
“Limit how much money you leave in a checking account, especially if you have a debit card on that checking account. You only want to have what you need to have,” Miller said.
The theft victim now checks her account balances at least every other day, sometimes even waking up in the middle of the night.
“When I wake up, first of all, I thank God for allowing me to open my eyes again. And then I call Wells Fargo Bank,” she said. “You just don’t know who’s out there.”
She has never met James, she said, and she doesn’t know how he got her debit card number.
"It was heart wrenching,” she said. “To just keep taking and taking, he deserves everything he gets.”
Records show James was convicted of theft in Harris County in 2017.
If you know where James may be, report any tips to HPD or Crime Stoppers of Houston.