In Austin today, 32-year-old Adefemi Olokodana (aka “Coker Akosua Paul”), a Nigerian national residing in Austin, was sentenced to six years in federal prison for his role in a scheme to collect millions of dollars in tax refunds using stolen identification information. On January 22, Olokodana had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud…
Category: ID Theft
Payroll company employee stole customer funds, feds claim
Robert Patrick reports: An employee of a payroll processing company changed clients’ account information to re-direct their pay, an indictment filed Wednesday says. Courtland Iverson and Romel Handson were each indicted on a felony charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Read more on: St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The payroll processing firm is not named in…
VA: Former nurse charged with stealing patients’ personal information (updated)
BSomers reports that Capri Williams, formerly employed as a nurse at Commonwealth Primary Care, is facing federal charges of bank fraud and identity theft. She is scheduled for her first court appearance on Friday. The US Attorney’s Office said she used personal information from hundreds of patients to try and open new bank and credit accounts. In one case,…
Equifax service remains mum about client reports of tax refund fraud
Back in April, DataBreaches.net noted that Stanford University was notifying its employees about tax refund fraud. The fraud appeared to result from perpetrators downloading employees’ W-2 information from the university’s vendor, W-2 Express, and then using the info to file fraudulent returns. W-2 information typically includes an employee’s name and address, their wage and salary information, as well…
NJ financial advisor admits identity theft that cost clients $500k
Sergio Bichao reports: A Middletown financial advisor accused of bilking nearly 20 clients out of a half million dollars has pleaded guilty to the charges against him. Christopher D. Biello [aka Christopher Sherman], 43, is facing as many as 14 years in prison when he is sentenced Nov. 4, and may be ordered to pay…
International identity-theft ring victimized hundreds, including Hollywood actress, authorities say
Rachel Weiner reports: Federal agents said they have uncovered a massive international identity-theft scheme that victimized at least hundreds and maybe thousands of people, including an actress who appeared in the television shows “Smallville” and “Supergirl.” On Thursday, federal authorities arrested two people in Virginia and two in Georgia who allegedly were part of a…