Identity Theft/Fraud

Each year millions of people fall victim to identity thieves, and the problem is only getting worse. With identity theft rates setting new records year after year, it is no wonder that the courts do not take these cases lightly. Today’s “Fraud of the...

The Rx symbol is found on doctor’s prescription pads, as well as on signs in pharmacies. (Here’s your medical lesson for the day: Rx is derived from the Latin word “recipe,” which means “take”.) A Mount Holly, North Carolina physician was definitely “on the...

The Internet is full of links to crimes carried out in ridiculous disguises. Some of my favorites include two men who used a permanent marker to draw mustaches and beards on their faces; the ‘Duct Tape Bandit,’ who wrapped his head in, you guessed...

A recent study suggests that 25 percent of Bitcoin users are associated with illegal activity. Today’s fraudster from Illinois fits into that category. He committed identity theft fraud by purchasing the identities of people in 38 states from the dark web using Bitcoin, then...

When millions of records containing personal data for current and former federal employees were stolen through the infamous U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) breach in 2015, no one could have possibly anticipated the fall out, other than to predict it would be bad....

Fraudsters are using increasingly sophisticated tactics to manipulate personal details about others for personal gain. (Their modus operandi is all about enjoying life at the expense of their victims.) An identity thief from Jacksonville, Florida took a three-year long joyride with the personal identification...

Sometimes investigations into fraud start out in a straightforward manner with a predicted prosecution and conviction in sight. But, today’s fraud article is a little different. It details the story of a very deceptive man from Mexico who used the stolen identity of a...

Military members are vulnerable to identity theft, fraud and scams, particularly during a deployment. But, service members don’t have to be halfway around the world to become a victim. (It can happen stateside too.) A man from Harvey, Illinois committed identity theft and tax...

Identities used in Stolen Identity Refund Fraud (SIRF) crimes can be stolen from anywhere – hospitals, nursing homes, or even public death lists. An enterprising woman from Antioch, Tennessee committed SIRF and aggravated identity theft by using the personal information of incarcerated individuals under...

It’s tax season, the accounting profession’s most favorite time of the year. It used to be that taxpayers dreaded filling out the confusing tax forms just because they might owe Uncle Sam some money. But now, taxpayers fear having their identities stolen and used...