Tag:

Identity theft

Holiday Deals Or Fraud? IRS Issues Warning For These Scams Holiday Deals Or Fraud? IRS Issues Warning For These Scams
Holiday Deals Or Fraud? IRS Issues Warning For These Scams As the holiday shopping season begins, the IRS reminds everyone that it’s not just your credit card balance you need to watch — it’s also your personal information. As part of its ninth annual National Tax Security Awareness Week, the IRS is warning taxpayers about a rise in holiday scams.  The scammers aren’t interested in gifts under your tree; they’re after your Social Security number and financial information instead. Here’s how scammers are getting creative—and how you can stay safe: Phishing Emails: Be wary of emails pretending to be from reputable retailers, shipping companie…
Skimmer Device Placed At Central PA Walmart, Police Seek Suspects Skimmer Device Placed At Central PA Walmart, Police Seek Suspects
Skimmer Device Placed At Central PA Walmart, Police Seek Suspects A skimming device was found at a Walmart in Carlisle, and police are asking for the public's help to identify two suspects, authorities announced on Tuesday, Nov. 19. The device was discovered by a loss prevention employee at the Walmart on 60 Noble Blvd., police said. Surveillance footage shows two male suspects placing the skimmer on a credit card machine at 1:11 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 13, according to Carlisle Police. The suspects reportedly began loading grocery items onto the conveyor belt while the cashier scanned and bagged the merchandise. While the cashier was distracted, the men ins…
Caretaker Accused Of Stealing Up To $200K From Patient For Drugs In Lancaster County Caretaker Accused Of Stealing Up To $200K From Patient For Drugs In Lancaster County
Caretaker Accused Of Stealing Up To $200K From Patient For Drugs In Lancaster County A Lancaster County caretaker is accused of stealing prescription drugs and up to $200,000 from a patient she cared for, authorities said. Jamie Lynn Lloyd, 42, of Lilitz was charged with Dealing in Proceeds of Unlawful Activities, Identity Theft, Financial Exploitation of an Older Adult or Care-dependent Person, Theft by Deception, Criminal Use of Communication Facility, Access Device Fraud, Unlawful Use of Computer and Other Computer Crimes Arrest, according to Manheim Township police. In the spring of 2023, Lloyd began voluntarily helping the victim, including taking them to appointm…
PA Man Used Photo Of Son's Former Teacher In Soliciting Sex From 13-Year-Old, Affidavit Shows PA Man Used Photo Of Son's Former Teacher In Soliciting Sex From 13-Year-Old, Affidavit Shows
PA Man Used Photo Of Son's Former Teacher In Soliciting Sex From 13-Year-Old, Affidavit Shows Authorities have released chats between undercover officers posing as a 13-year-old girl and a Montgomery County man asking for sexual favors. Thomas Bowes, 39, of Lansdale, became the center of an investigation in October 2023, following a tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, according to the criminal complaint obtained by Daily Voice. ** WARNING: The following news story contains disturbing and graphic information that depicts the sexual abuse of small children ** Montgomery County investigators created profiles on the social media app Whisper, and began engaging with…
Woman Accused Of Stealing Wilton Resident’s Identity To Cash Checks Woman Accused Of Stealing Wilton Resident’s Identity To Cash Checks
Woman Accused Of Stealing Wilton Resident’s Identity To Cash Checks A woman from Pennsylvania has been charged with burglary and identity theft after she allegedly broke into a car in Connecticut, and tried to cash checks she stole from that car, police said. Kaitlyn Miller, age 28, of King of Prussia in Montgomery County, PA, was arrested on Wednesday, Nov. 15, in Fairfield County after police said she broke into a car in Wilton Center on Jan. 24. She stole checks from that car and cashed, or tried to cash them, at different banks shortly after, according to police. Miller was arraigned at Stamford Superior Court and charged with: Conspiracy to coming t…
NJ Man Steals $8K+ From Woman Using Passport At PA Bank: Police NJ Man Steals $8K+ From Woman Using Passport At PA Bank: Police
NJ Man Steals $8K+ From Woman Using Passport At PA Bank: Police An elderly woman has lost nearly $9,000 from her bank account after a New Jersey man used a fake passport card at a bank in Bethlehem, PA, police announced on Wednesday, Nov. 22.  Dax Perez Velazquez, 49 of West New York, NJ, somehow obtained a US passport card with his image on it but the elderly woman's name, and used it at a Member's 1st bank in Bethlehem, PA on September 30, Lower Allen Township police detailed in the release. The man initially made a cash withdrawal of $6,800 using the woman's account info and his fraudulent passport card at a teller window inside the bank and the…
3 More Men Arrested In Convicted Hacker's $2 Million Scheme At Pennsylvania Banks: AG 3 More Men Arrested In Convicted Hacker's $2 Million Scheme At Pennsylvania Banks: AG
3 More Men Arrested In Convicted Hacker's $2 Million Scheme At Pennsylvania Banks: AG Three more men have been taken into police custody inconnection to with a $2 million bank scheme, according to an updated release by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office.  Less than one week ago, we reported that Carl Gonzalez, 19 of Highspire and Tyreese Lewis, 22, of Harrisburg, had been arrested for allegedly impersonating Pennsylvania bank employees and customers. Now, Jaire Amari Cotton, 22, of Harrisburg; Lavon Whittaker, 22, of Harrisburg; and Zyaire Monserrat, 22, of Steelton, join them in the Dauphin County Prison on the following changes.  Corrupt organizations Id…
Convicted Hacker Steals $2 Million From Pennsylvania Banks: AG Convicted Hacker Steals $2 Million From Pennsylvania Banks: AG
Convicted Hacker Steals $2 Million From Pennsylvania Banks: AG Two men stole approximately $2 million from banks by impersonating employees and customers – something one of them had experience doing before, authorities say.  According to the Office of the Attorney General, investigators found that the young men allegedly targeted financial institutions and consumers in Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, and York Counties. Carl A. Gonzalez, 19, of Highspire, was arrested Thursday and arraigned. His bail was set at $10,000. Tyreese Lewis, 22, of Harrisburg, was recently arrested in Los Angeles and arraigned in Dauphin County. He is being held wit…
Trio Used Soldier's Stolen ID To Buy Guns Illegally: Montco DA Trio Used Soldier's Stolen ID To Buy Guns Illegally: Montco DA
Trio Used Soldier's Stolen ID To Buy Guns Illegally: Montco DA Three men are charged in connection with a scheme to use a US soldier's stolen identity to buy guns illegally, according to authorities.  Taalibudeen “Taalib” Ibn Hasdn Anderson, 22, and Tariq Anderson, 23, both of Philadelphia, and Daijon Griffin, 21, of Wilmington, Delaware, are each in police custody, said Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele's Office.  It began in Apil, prosecutors said, when an active duty Army serviceman visited his mother in Philly while on leave, the DA's Office said.  The soldier lost both his Pennsylvania driver's license and his U…
PA Vet Aide Took Dead Dog's Drugs, Stole 1K+ In Gift Cards, AG Alleges PA Vet Aide Took Dead Dog's Drugs, Stole 1K+ In Gift Cards, AG Alleges
PA Vet Aide Took Dead Dog's Drugs, Stole 1K+ In Gift Cards, AG Alleges A 42-year-old veterinarian's aide has been charged for allegedly stealing various drugs, cash, and gift cards from her co-workers and the hospital where she worked.  Heidi Schumacher of Springdale was working at River Valley Veterinary Hospital when she was caught on camera "taking medications— often after hours when employees should not have been at the facility," Attorney General Michelle Henry stated in the release on Tuesday, May 16, 2023.  An investigation by the AG's office found that she "printed forged prescription bottle labels and entered the locked pharmacy after h…
PennDOT Employee Photographed Customer Docs., State Police Say PennDOT Employee Photographed Customer Docs., State Police Say
PennDOT Employee Photographed Customer Docs., State Police Say A 63-year-old Lebanon man admitted to taking pictures and personal information from customers while working at a PennDOT License Center, Pennsylvania State Police announced on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.  Ashwin Pari was working as a greeter at the Lancaster Driver’s License Center located at 2090 East Lincoln Highway when PennDOT Risk Management Office contacted State Police on December 9, 2022. Investigators reviewed surveillance video inside the PennDOT facility and found Pari took photos with his cellphone of customer’s information on driver’s licenses, social se…
Drive-Thru Bank Robber Nabbed In York County: Police Drive-Thru Bank Robber Nabbed In York County: Police
Drive-Thru Bank Robber Nabbed In York County: Police A 58-year-old Hanover convict has been arrested in connection with an attempted bank robbery in Littlestown, police say.  Rodney Warner, supposedly "attempted to rob the bank through the drive through," Littlestown police stated in a release on Tuesday, March 21, 2023.  The Littlestown officers were called to a "hold up alarm" at the PNC Bank at 400 West King Street at around 10:38 a.m. on Mar. 14, 2023, according to the release. When they arrived, the suspect had fled, but employees then informed about what had happened and "within a few hours LPD Officers identified the vehicle…
Boyfriend Of Newark Woman Missing Since 2017 Charged With Stealing Disabled Son's Benefits Boyfriend Of Newark Woman Missing Since 2017 Charged With Stealing Disabled Son's Benefits
Boyfriend Of Newark Woman Missing Since 2017 Charged With Stealing Disabled Son's Benefits The former live-in boyfriend of a Newark woman who's been missing more than five years accessed her personal information and within days began embezzling benefit payments meant for her disabled son, federal authorities charged. Asmar Earp, a 37-year-old ex-con with an extensive criminal record, first changed the pin code on the benefits debit card belonging to Venika Williams less than a week after she was reported missing in December 2017, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. A few months later, he used Williams's name, date of birth and Social Security number to receive …
Man Left For Dead Under Bridge Was Robbed By Evicted Pair: Montco DA Man Left For Dead Under Bridge Was Robbed By Evicted Pair: Montco DA
Man Left For Dead Under Bridge Was Robbed By Evicted Pair: Montco DA Two 20-year-old people who had been evicted from their apartment robbed and killed of a man whose body was found under a Montgomery County bridge last month, authorities said. Ana Gonzalez-Munguia, 20, and Erick Galo-Ponce, 20, beat 23-year-old Nilson Velazquez-Cardona to death before his body was found under the Stony Creek Bridge on W. Marshall Street Saturday, Dec. 17 around 7:30 a.m. — Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Norristown Acting Police Chief Michael Bishop said. Dr. Ian Hood of the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office, who found that the male died of blu…
Widow Who Fell Victim To $39K Romance Scam 'Forgot How Good It Felt To Be Loved' Widow Who Fell Victim To $39K Romance Scam 'Forgot How Good It Felt To Be Loved'
Widow Who Fell Victim To $39K Romance Scam 'Forgot How Good It Felt To Be Loved' After losing her life savings to an internet romance scam, one Pennsylvania senior is speaking out to protect others from falling victim.  Kate Kleinert of Glenolden had been widowed for 12 years and had stopped looking for love when she received a Facebook friend request in August 2020, she wrote to a US Senate committee last year.  The man said he was a doctor named Tony Richard, and quickly struck up a friendship with Kate based on mutual interests, she said.  "We started talking on the phone through an app he had me download," Kate told Senators. "He told me he was …
Andrew Bucklandon Is NOT Missing: Here's How Social Scammers Get You Andrew Bucklandon Is NOT Missing: Here's How Social Scammers Get You
Andrew Bucklandon Is NOT Missing: Here's How Social Scammers Get You A boy named Andrew Bucklandon hasn't gone missing. He didn't leave for school and not return. He doesn't even exist. For those who've seen -- or, worse, shared -- the Facebook post about a purportedly missing boy the past couple of days, here are a few questions: Does the post include a town? A link? Contact details? It doesn't. Because it's bogus. Like any good phishing scam, the missing boy ploy tugs at the heartstrings and plays on the fears of those who want to help. They're actually helping the scammers find more victims. Phishers threw their latest line into social media waters on…
Dozen PA Residents Charged In Federal $1 Million Social Security Fraud Case Dozen PA Residents Charged In Federal $1 Million Social Security Fraud Case
Dozen PA Residents Charged In Federal $1 Million Social Security Fraud Case Nearly a dozen Pennsylvania residents have been charged in a $1 million federal social security fraud case, with nine already pleading guilty, authorities announced. The charges stem from a targeted investigation to catch those who steal a dead beneficiary's social security payments, United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero said on Monday, Oct. 3. In total, the fraud loss in these 12 cases amounts to nearly $1 million. The following individuals have been charged: Sloan Carter, 59, of Philadelphia; charged by Information on Aug. 2, with theft of government funds; pleaded…
Romanian Thieves 'Bear Hug' Victim At Pennsylvania Sheetz Before Fleeing To Maryland: Police Romanian Thieves 'Bear Hug' Victim At Pennsylvania Sheetz Before Fleeing To Maryland: Police
Romanian Thieves 'Bear Hug' Victim At Pennsylvania Sheetz Before Fleeing To Maryland: Police A Romanian couple in a car from Texas, stole from someone at a Pennsylvania Sheetz, before fleeing and abandoning their vehicle in Maryland, authorities say.  Nicolae Miclescu and Viorica Petra, both 32, approached a victim at the gas pumps at the Sheetz located at 1158 River Road, Marietta at 3:30 p.m. on June 12, according to a release by the Susquehanna Regional police department on July 28.   The pair asked the victim for gas money, blocking him in with a Black Chevrolet Tahoe SUV bearing Texas registration PJX-9926, and then Petre "bear hugged the victim and st…
PA News Anchor Lied About Having Stalker: State Police PA News Anchor Lied About Having Stalker: State Police
PA News Anchor Lied About Having Stalker: State Police A Pennsylvania television news anchor has been arrested for falsely claiming she had a stalker, Pennsylvania state police say.  Haley Potter, 24, originally from Pittsburgh, began making false statements to the police saying she had an ongoing harassment issue from an unknown stalker in April, according to a release by the police.  The Slippery Rock University class of 2020 graduate allegedly led police down a slippery slope when showed them text messages, phone calls, and voicemails detailing her whereabouts that she claim to have received from an unknown person. Them she showed police a …
PA Man Who Illegally Reentered The US Nabbed With Illegal Firearm: USDOJ PA Man Who Illegally Reentered The US Nabbed With Illegal Firearm: USDOJ
PA Man Who Illegally Reentered The US Nabbed With Illegal Firearm: Usdoj A 30-year-old Harrisburg man is heading to prison after he illegally reentered the US, but he wasn’t initially caught on those charges, according to a release by the US Department of Justice. Luis Miguel Mejia-Lugo fraudulently used the identity of a United States citizen, including a counterfeit social security card, to obtain a Pennsylvania Driver’s License— using the license to purchase a firearm, US Attorney John C. Gurganus says. He was found with the gun and arrested in Hazleton on Apr. 29, 2020, Gurganus says in the release. Mejia-Lugo had previously been deported as an “alien w…
NY Trio Led Police On Two Pursuits After PA Pharmacists Refused To Fill Fake Prescription NY Trio Led Police On Two Pursuits After PA Pharmacists Refused To Fill Fake Prescription
NY Trio Led Police On Two Pursuits After PA Pharmacists Refused To Fill Fake Prescription Three men from New York sent police on a chase in Pennsylvania after they failed to fill a fraudulent prescription, police say. Northwest Regional police received a report of someone trying to fill a fake prescription at Sloan's Norlanco Pharmacy in Mount Joy Township around 7 p.m. Friday, Apr. 1— and it wasn’t an April Fool’s Day prank, as the script was filed several days prior, according to the department’s release. Officers Kris Hart and Dan Gordon responded to the call, approaching the building as one of the suspects were exiting the store. Outside the store, the other two suspects w…
Feds: ID Thief Gets 4 Years For Stealing $600,000 From NJ Bank Customers Feds: ID Thief Gets 4 Years For Stealing $600,000 From NJ Bank Customers
Feds: ID Thief Gets 4 Years For Stealing $600,000 From NJ Bank Customers UPDATE: An admitted identity thief was sentenced to four years in federal prison for conspiring with a South Jersey bank employee and others to steal more than $600,000 from unsuspecting victims, federal authorities said. Lamar Melhado, 32, of the Bronx will have to serve just about all of the plea-bargained sentence handed down in U.S. District Court in Camden on Monday, March 7, because there's no parole in the federal prison system. Melhado received photos and screenshots of customers’ information and signatures from Mount Laurel bank call center employee Jamere Hill-Birdsong of Gloucest…
East Coast Luxury Car Theft Ring Smashed By PalPark Detectives East Coast Luxury Car Theft Ring Smashed By PalPark Detectives
East Coast Luxury Car Theft Ring Smashed By PalPark Detectives What at first seemed like a run-of-the-mill package theft led Palisades Park detectives to an organized theft ring that used bogus IDs to buy high-end luxury cars, authorities said. Jeon Kichul, a 43-year-old Korean national, was arrested last December after Detective David Chun identified him as the porch pirate who swiped a package containing a baseball glove from outside a resident’s home, Capt. Shawn Lee said. Kichul, who was also carrying bogus ID, was released pending further investigation, said Lee, the officer in charge of the department. Chun then learned that Jeon was "part of a …
Man Wanted For Identity Theft In Lehigh Valley, Police Say Man Wanted For Identity Theft In Lehigh Valley, Police Say
Man Wanted For Identity Theft In Lehigh Valley, Police Say Police are seeking the public’s help identifying a man wanted for fraud in the Lehigh Valley area. The man pictured above is a suspect in an identity theft case in Bethlehem, city police said Monday. Anyone with information about the man’s identity is asked to contact Bethlehem Police at 610-865-7000 or email Detective Molony at smolony@bethlehem-pa.gov.
Where Did This NJ Town Get A Maserati To Auction Off? Answer: From A Federal Convict Where Did This NJ Town Get A Maserati To Auction Off? Answer: From A Federal Convict
Where Did This NJ Town Get A Maserati To Auction Off? Answer: From A Federal Convict A Maserati that’s being auctioned off by a small Bergen County town was seized from a confessed ID thief from Hackensack who's now serving federal prison time for swiping $2 million from various victims, Daily Voice has learned. She was a he at the time. Closter police confiscated the flash ride during a 2018 investigation that produced the arrest of Ralph Taylor -- who according to the U.S. Attorney's Office has become Alexis Taylor while behind bars. Working with others, Taylor bought a “significant amount of stolen personal identifying information via the dark web, includ…
Union County Woman Admits Destroying Evidence In $400,000 COVID Unemployment Scam Union County Woman Admits Destroying Evidence In $400,000 COVID Unemployment Scam
Union County Woman Admits Destroying Evidence In $400,000 COVID Unemployment Scam A Union County woman admitted in federal court that she was shredding bogus credit and debit cards -- obtained by a man who fraudulently collected $400,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits from the state of New York -- when investigators came busting in. Detectives armed with a search warrant found Latoyia McCollum, 46, of Hillside in the kitchen of an undisclosed location "placing what appeared to be a credit/debit card into the shredder" while face-timing on a cellphone in October 2020, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. McCollum told them she was on the phone with Maurice Mills…
9 Charged With Stealing $1.3M Worth of Vehicles In NJ, NY, PA, CT, MA, Shipping Them Overseas 9 Charged With Stealing $1.3M Worth of Vehicles In NJ, NY, PA, CT, MA, Shipping Them Overseas
9 Charged With Stealing $1.3M Worth of Vehicles In NJ, NY, PA, CT, MA, Shipping Them Overseas An international ring of identity thieves stole $1.3 million worth of vehicles and watercraft from dealerships in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts using fraudulently obtained digital driver's licenses, authorities charged. Nine defendants used the stolen identities of U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico -- along with fake Puerto Rico driver’s licenses, Social Security cards, debit cards and birth certificates -- to obtain the licenses from motor vehicle agencies in Jersey City and North Bergen, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck said. They used thos…
PA Caregiver Stole Disabled Clients' Personal Info To Get $90K In Unemployment Benefits: AG PA Caregiver Stole Disabled Clients' Personal Info To Get $90K In Unemployment Benefits: AG
PA Caregiver Stole Disabled Clients' Personal Info To Get $90K In Unemployment Benefits: AG A grand jury in Pennsylvania has indicted a caregiver for stealing the personal information of disabled clients in exchange for nearly $90,000 in PUA funds, authorities announced Thursday. Nelson Fornah, 35, of Darby, was charged with identity theft, access device fraud, tampering with public records, and other offenses, according to Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “As a caregiver, this defendant was responsible for supporting adult individuals with disabilities in order to help them build trust and communicate with others. Instead, he used his position of trust to take advantage o…
Feds: Accomplice Of NJ Bank Employee Admits Swiping $600,000 From Customers With Stolen IDs Feds: Accomplice Of NJ Bank Employee Admits Swiping $600,000 From Customers With Stolen IDs
Feds: Accomplice Of NJ Bank Employee Admits Swiping $600,000 From Customers With Stolen IDs A Bronx man admitted that he conspired with a South Jersey bank employee to steal more than $600,000 from unsuspecting victims after swiping their IDs, federal authorities said. Lamar Melhado, 32, used screenshots of customers’ information and signatures that were supplied to him and others by Jamere Hill-Birdsong of Gloucester City, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said Thursday. Hill-Birdson, who worked for a call center at a Mount Laurel bank, recruited co-workers to take photos or screenshots of customers’ information and signatures and then pass them on to him and Melhado, she sai…
Thief Who Swiped 94,000 Credit Card Numbers At Michaels Stores In NJ, NY, CT, PA Sentenced Thief Who Swiped 94,000 Credit Card Numbers At Michaels Stores In NJ, NY, CT, PA Sentenced
Thief Who Swiped 94,000 Credit Card Numbers At Michaels Stores In NJ, NY, CT, PA Sentenced UPDATE: A member of an ID theft ring that stole more than $600,000 from customers at Michaels stores in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and elsewhere was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison on Thursday. Jose “Tito” Salazar, 45, of Riverside, CA was part of a crew that replaced card-reading terminals at the arts and crafts retailer with wireless imitations that they used to capture customers' bank account numbers and PINs, Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Rachael A. Honig said. They then created copycat cards that were then used to withdraw more than $500,000 from hun…
Confessed NJ ID Thief Admits Stealing $450,000 In Pandemic Unemployment Benefits From NY State Confessed NJ ID Thief Admits Stealing $450,000 In Pandemic Unemployment Benefits From NY State
Confessed NJ ID Thief Admits Stealing $450,000 In Pandemic Unemployment Benefits From NY State A Union County man admitted Monday that he stole $450,000 in pandemic unemployment insurance benefits from New York State by using other people's identities. Maurice Mills, 29, of Union Township took a deal from the government rather than face trial, pleading guilty to wire fraud during a video conference with a federal judge in Newark. Mills admitted that he submitted the bogus applications last year for the benefits, funded by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, "using the names of other individuals," Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. U.S. Di…