'Whitewash Bandit' may also be 'Gone Plaid Bandit,' FBI says

BREA, Calif. (KABC) -- A bank robber striking several banks in Orange County may be having an identity crisis, according to the FBI.

The "Whitewash Bandit" is wanted in five bank robberies committed over the last week, including two banks within an hour of each other on Wednesday.

The FBI gave the robber his nickname because he sports a white fedora and white long-sleeved shirt.

Investigators believe he's the same suspect they were after for 11 bank robberies between 2010 and 2013.

Back then, he wore plaid shirts and the FBI dubbed him the "Gone Plaid Bandit."

Officials said the robber hands the teller a note demanding cash and to hurry up or else people will get hurt. But now, the FBI said he's been backing up his threat by letting the teller know he's armed.

In one instance, he pointed the gun at a teller, and in another robbery he flashed the gun to the teller, according to officials. The majority of the robberies have taken place in Orange County, but two have happened in Los Angeles County.

If you have any information that can help officials identify the suspect, you are urged to call the FBI's Orange County office at (714) 939-8699.