Ace Cash Express is where a Colorado Springs woman came when she found herself in a pinch and needed a quick loan.
The loan was paid off more than a year ago so when she got a call telling her another loan was due... she was shocked.
The victim says, "When I received the phone call stating that within the next 24 hours you're going to be responsible for $575... at that moment my world stopped."
She doesn't want to share her name, but she wants others to learn from her story.
Colorado Springs Police tell us ... she's not the only victim.
They say Ace employee, 27 year old Toccara Thomas admitted to preying on 9 to 10 former Ace customers... using their old files to take out new loans. We're told she not only pocketed a couple thousand dollars., but handed out cash to family and friends.
The victim says, "Make sure your paperwork is in a secure location and ask that it be discarded."
But we learned it's not that easy. An Ace spokesman tells me that Colorado law requires them to hang onto loan files for four years in their stores.
He says all their files have since been secured, but he knows the victims are worried.
That's why Ace decided to give them a check... to pay for a year's worth of coverage for identity theft insurance.
I'm told Ace conducts extensive background checks on employees, but that wouldn't have mattered in this case because it was Thomas' first conviction.
A financial crimes detective looks at this as an embezzlement case... which reportedly happens just as often as identity theft.
Since you can't really guard against this type of crime... it's important to regularly check your credit to make sure no one's gone fishing through your files.
Wer'e told since this is Thomas' first offense... she was sentenced to probation.