The criminal complaint filed in U.S.A. v. Brandon Lee Price, U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania, Case No. 12-152 M, essentially claims that Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen was the target of an identity theft. As reported at “Identity Thief Targets Billionaire Allen”, suspected identity thief Brandon Lee Price of Pittsburgh supposedly tried to illegally transfer $15,000 from Mr…. Continue Reading
Category Archives: Identity Theft
Subscribe to Identity Theft RSS FeedIdentity Theft & An Impersonator On The Phone
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Financial Institutions, Identity Theft, White-Collar Crime GenerallyThe following fact pattern has been changed for privacy reasons: Robert received dunning letters and phone calls from debt collectors because he supposedly owed more than $50,000 dollars in credit card debt. The debt collectors alleged that various financial institutions had issued Robert seven credit cards many years ago. These debt collectors too claimed that… Continue Reading
Asset Search News Roundup: January 4, 2011
Posted in Asset Search News, Drug-Related Assets, Identity Theft, Money Laundering, White-Collar Crime Generally“Secreting Assets Without A Border Trace” shows the role portable valuable commodities like diamonds can have in a scheme to hide assets. This January 4th “Asset Search News Roundup” reviews two more ways assets can be hidden. Bulk Cash Smuggling A December 16th press release refers to one case now being prosecuted which allegedly involved… Continue Reading
Airline Tickets & Alleged Credit Card Fraud
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Identity Theft, White-Collar Crime Generally“$20 million airline-ticket fraud aided by hotel workers, prosecutors say” mentioned that suspected identity thieves and their supposed co-conspirators were indicted for allegedly using stolen credit card information to purchase airline tickets. These tickets are believed to have been sold on the U.S. black market at steep discounts to airline passengers. A July 9th press… Continue Reading
Eliciting Financial Evidence Across International Borders
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Divorce & Child Support, Identity Theft, Money Laundering, Swiss Banks“Using Foreign Computer Evidence Against An Accused Hacker” explained that U.S. prosecutors accessed a Latvian computer server and other foreign computer evidence, where an identity thief was accused of storing stolen U.S. credit card information across international borders. “Money Laundering, Marital Assets & Divorce” outlined the different fact pattern of a U.S. divorcing spouse who… Continue Reading
Illegally Accessing Customer Information At U.S. Banks
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Divorce & Child Support, Financial Institutions, Identity Theft, Illegal Asset Searches, Privacy LawsBank secrecy laws enable bank customers to entrust their confidential financial information to banks across the globe, as the OECD explains at page 19, ¶ 29 of “Improving Access To Bank Information For Tax Purposes“. By obligating banks to protect a bank customer’s confidential information, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act at 15 U.S.C. § 6801 (b) provides bank… Continue Reading
Asset Search News Roundup: January 1, 2010
Posted in Asset Search News, Financial Institutions, Identity Theft, Money Laundering, Privacy LawsThe "Asset Search News Roundup: January 26, 2009 " mentioned that Heartland Payment Systems was subjected to what might have been the biggest credit / debit card information theft in the U.S. Mr. Albert Gonzalez was ultimately indicted for that privacy law violation / computer intrusion and other ones. In fact, Mr. Gonzalez pleaded guilty… Continue Reading
Committing Bank Fraud Through Identity Thefts
Posted in Accessing Assets By ID Theft, Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Financial Institutions, Identity Theft, White-Collar Crime GenerallyAn August 25 Newsweek article mentioned that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke had fallen prey to identity thieves after Mr. Bernanke’s wife had her purse stolen. One of the people believed to have been responsible for that identity theft is Clyde Austin Gray, Jr. Mr. Gray had conspired to commit identity theft nationwide, according to… Continue Reading
Using Foreign Computer Evidence Against An Accused Hacker
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Identity Theft, Money Laundering, Privacy Laws, White-Collar Crime GenerallyAlbert Gonzalez was arrested in the Southern District of Florida on May 8, 2008 pursuant to this warrant: Click On The Arrest Warrant To Enlarge It The arrest arose out of Mr. Gonzalez’s alleged computer hacking / identity theft scheme which was later outlined in a May 14, 2008 New York superseding indictment. This superseding… Continue Reading
The Element Of Identity Theft In Different White-Collar Crimes
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Identity Theft, Money Laundering, Privacy Laws, Public Corruption, White-Collar Crime GenerallyIdentity theft can play a role in white-collar crimes ranging from money laundering to tax fraud. Perhaps most interesting are the schemes which share identity theft and money laundering as common elements, like the one mentioned at "A Tax Fraud & Identity Theft From Miami". Identity theft and money laundering are similarly alleged to have… Continue Reading
Asset Search News Roundup: March 7, 2009
Posted in Asset Search News, Financial Institutions, Identity TheftThe "Asset Search News Roundup" for this week explores the vital role financial institutions have in detecting assets concealed through money laundering. This kind of issue arose in a most recent phone conversation I had with an investigator who works for a Financial Intelligence Unit located offshore. The investigator had read one of my articles herein… Continue Reading
Asset Search News Roundup: January 26, 2009
Posted in Asset Search News, Identity TheftThis “Asset Search News Roundup” discusses criminal liability for hiding assets via money laundering in Mexico; a computer intrusion at Heartland Payment Systems which may have compromised tens of millions of credit / debit card transactions; and the sentencing of a man for identity theft after he was caught with 66 counterfeit driver’s licenses: 1. … Continue Reading
Concealing Cash By Laundering In Lithuania
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Financial Institutions, Identity Theft, Money LaunderingThe Bank of Lithuania, (i.e. the central bank of Lithuania), announced its recent anti-money laundering measures at a May 15, 2008 board meeting. The Bank’s focus on money laundering might already be paying off. The Financial Intelligence Unit for Lithuania for example, recently detained two international gang members for suspected money laundering. According to a… Continue Reading
Asset Search News Roundup: October 22, 2008
Posted in Asset Search News, Identity TheftSome people commit identity theft or aggravated identity theft and then hide their illicit gains by laundering them. This Asset Search News Roundup is therefore about both identity theft and money laundering: Former Drexel student Jocelyn Kirsch was sentenced on October 17th to five years in prison for aggravated identity theft, money laundering and criminal… Continue Reading
Pretexting During An Asset Search
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Financial Institutions, Identity Theft, Privacy Laws, White-Collar Crime GenerallyPrivacy and other federal laws generally prohibit pretexting, (the use of false pretenses), when contacting a U.S. bank, phone company or government agency for confidential information. One example of pretexting would be using a false identity while phoning a bank to elicit a bank customer’s personal account information. If an information broker, private investigator, etc…. Continue Reading
A Tax Fraud & Identity Theft From Miami
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Drug-Related Assets, Financial Institutions, Identity Theft, Money Laundering, Tax Fraud, Tax Fraud & ID Theft From MiamiThe following occurred over a four month period during 2002, and has been supplied by an investigator I have worked with. Some of it has been changed / sanitized for privacy reasons: The Tax Fraud As part of his tax fraud, “Mr. Wallace” contacted a Cayman Island bank by mail in order to open a… Continue Reading
Fighting Financial Fraud At UK Banks
Posted in Financial Institutions, Identity Theft, Money LaunderingIn the United States, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network regulates the customer identification procedures, (a.k.a "know your customer rules"), at banks. In order to clarify these procedures, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issued guidance in January 2004. These customer identification procedures codified at 31 C.F.R Part 103.121, demonstrate that there is no discretion as to what information… Continue Reading