Milwaukee HSA Bank fraud scheme; former employee, man charged

MILWAUKEE - Two people, including a former Milwaukee HSA Bank employee, are charged with multiple counts in a scheme that involved using customers' personal information to steal thousands of dollars.

According to a criminal complaint, former HSA Bank employee Precious Palmer gave out customers' personal information as part of a scheme to steal money from their accounts.

Investigators said everything from ZIP codes, social security numbers and home addresses would then be handed to a second person – Cecil Lacy.

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The complaint states Lacy would then call the bank and provide that information while pretending to be a certain customer. He was then able to access the accounts.

For about a year, the two allegedly attempted to steal thousands of dollars from customers who use HSA Bank. The district attorney's office said Lacy got away with stealing $13,000, but there were multiple unsuccessful attempts to take more.

Precious Palmer

Palmer and Lacy are charged with a total of 26 counts pertaining to identity theft and fraud. Palmer initially denied the allegations, prosecutors say, but eventually gave up Lacy's name – saying "it was all his idea" and "I was kind of wrong for it."

Palmer, 28, is now behind bars. Lacy is yet to be arrested.

FOX6 News reached out to HSA Bank multiple times for comment. Saturday, after the story aired, a spokesperson said: 

"We investigated and self-identified the issue to law enforcement when it occurred in 2020. No loss was incurred by any client or HSA Bank."