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Seattle woman charged with robbing 8 banks in a year-long spree took ‘great pride’ in her exploits, authorities say — and it may have been her undoing

In our modern era of advanced technology and sophisticated security systems, one might think that successfully robbing a bank — let alone multiple banks — would be virtually impossible. Yet remarkably, a Seattle woman managed to evade authorities while committing eight bank robberies during a yearlong crime spree before law enforcement finally apprehended her.

“She took immense personal satisfaction from her ability to rob banks and outsmart law enforcement,” Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Brynn Jacobson wrote in a bail request. “The fact that she was a focus of a significant law enforcement investigation appears to have been a source of great pride for her.”

While she’s only been charged with robbing eight banks so far, Leena Chang actually robbed, or tried to rob, a total of nine banks before she was finally caught by law enforcement. She’s facing serious charges, and victims of the banks she robbed may be left wondering if their money is safe when a robbery occurs.

Here’s what Chang did, and what you need to know about how your funds are protected if someone steals from your financial institution.

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Seattle woman is a "serial bank robber," but a tipster tipped off police

According to KIRO 7, Chang’s bank robbery methods were fairly elaborate. She wore multiple disguises and handed tellers notes that said things such as: “I have a gun. Give me all the money from your register (except bait$). No tracking device. No silent alarm. Keep it discreet.”

Chang reportedly displayed an airsoft pistol to some bank tellers, which appeared to be a real firearm. Following her arrest, police searched her apartment and discovered the weapon was merely a replica. According to authorities, while Chang became more brazen in 2025 by targeting additional financial institutions and making less effort to conceal her identity, she maintained her core approach. She continued to calmly present her demand notes to tellers with the same methodical demeanor.

She was also good at making sure she didn’t get traceable funds. The police said the last two times she robbed a bank, she examined the money to look for things that could be traced, and she was able to find a currency tracking device that she gave back to the teller.

Chang typically netted between $385 and $4,180 from each heist, and appeared to take pride in her criminal activities. During a search of her residence, authorities discovered several incriminating items, including a painting featuring FBI wanted posters with her image, the written demands she had presented to bank tellers and various disguises she had worn during the robberies.

Police were ultimately able to catch her because a tipster told them that Chang was robbing banks. The person who called law enforcement gave police Chang’s address, said that Chang steered clear of phones due to the fact they were traceable, and called herself a "serial bank robber," who enjoyed reliving the thrill by listening to police reports.

Armed with info from the tipster, the police began to watch Chang, and they found her movements matched with robberies that were occurring.

Following her capture, the suspect faces an upcoming trial with authorities seeking $500,000 bail and electronic monitoring for home detention. Law enforcement has expressed concerns that she presents both a flight risk and a potential danger to public safety.

Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it

What happens if your bank is robbed?

Bank robberies are more common than you might think. The FBI reports 1,362 violations of the Federal Bank Robbery and Incidental Crimes Statute in 2023. This includes:

753 cases where the perpetrator used a demand note
230 cases where a firearm was used
25 cases where another kind of weapon was used
539 cases where the perpetrator threatened to use a weapon

According to another FBI 2019 report, banks suffered the highest monetary losses from robberies among all institutions, with an average loss of $4,213 per incident.

But, who bears the cost of these losses? Fortunately, it’s not consumers who bank with the institution that was robbed. While FDIC insurance doesn’t cover you, even though you may think it does, the FDIC explains that banks will bear the cost of losses in a robbery and not individuals with accounts at the bank.

The FDIC also says that many financial institutions have a banker’s blanket bond, or multi-purpose insurance policy, that protects against loss.

While you won’t lose money, though, it’s possible that your bank could be temporarily closed for a short period of time in the robbery’s aftermath as the situation is investigated.

Normal business operations typically resume quickly after a bank robbery, so you shouldn’t be concerned about any permanent effects on your finances if your financial institution becomes a target. Banking systems are designed to continue functioning with minimal disruption in such situations.

Seattle woman charged with robbing 8 banks in a year-long spree took ‘great pride’ in her exploits, authorities say — and it may have been her undoing

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Seattle woman is a "serial bank robber," but a tipster tipped off police

What happens if your bank is robbed?

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