UPPER SADDLE RIVER, N.J. -- Upper Saddle River police cracked a "multi-layered" scam in which they said a former car dealership employee bought and operated a $50,000 car in someone else's name -- then convinced another victim to give her $27,000 for a bogus detailing business.
After losing her job at a New York dealership, Dana Wagner, 47, stole an elderly customer's ID, got a job at a New Jersey dealership and used the information to buy a car and obtain insurance for it, Detective Lt. Edward Kane said.
Wagner then "purported to be the manager of local car dealerships" and "convinced the second victim to open a car detailing company that would be utilized by her dealerships to prep and clean all vehicles," he said.
The victim gave her money for payroll, supplies, and insurance coverage that she instead deposited into her personal bank account, Kane said.
Upper Saddle River Police arrested Wagner in Toms River with the assistance of their colleagues from Toms River and Barnegat, the lieutenant said.
She was charged with various counts of forgery, theft by deception, identity theft and insurance fraud and remained held on $20,000 bail Saturday morning in the Bergen County Jail.
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