A 50-year-old Vancouver, Wash. woman has pleaded not guilty to 17 counts of forgery and 15 counts of identity theft after allegedly stealing $300,000 from a 90-year-old man.
According to police reports, Becky L. Iverson befriended the man while she work for a real estate firm. He and his wife sold their home through the firm in 2007.
Iverson volunteered to help the couple by running errands for them, and forged checks on the man’s bank account and withdrew money for more than a year.
In an unrelated case, a Buffalo, N.Y. woman convicted of aggravated identity theft was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay $16,194.43 in restitution.
Georgia F. Bowen, 35, repeatedly used the name and Social Security number of another person to obtain Medicaid benefits totaling $13,029.84, utilities from National Grid totaling $2,376.83 and National Fuel in the amount of $787.76 for services at her homes in Buffalo and Kenmore.
She also used the victim’s name when traveling in Canada and Jamaica.
How do people get away with this kind of thing?
In either of these cases, it’s anybody’s guess. But in the Buffalo case, it’s likely the victim didn’t realize his identity was stolen for an extended period of time, which enabled the criminal to continue to use the stolen identity.
On the other hand, it’s easy to see how Iverson got away with her alleged crimes for such a long time. Elderly victims of identity theft are often very trusting, and aren’t vigilant when it comes to checking their bank or credit card accounts.
How can you prevent becoming a victim of identity theft? First of all, when you receive your bank or credit card statements each month, check them carefully. Be sure to shred any documents that contain your personal information prior to disposal.
You should also check your credit reports. If you suspect there may be fraudulent activity, you should place fraud alerts on your credit report.
You should also opt out of pre-approved credit offers. Criminals who wish to commit identity theft often steal mail and obtain credit cards in the name of the victim.
If you do fall victim, report the crime to your local police department. You’ll need a police report to submit to creditors as proof that you were a crime victim. You should also close the compromised accounts.
In the end, prevention is all about being vigilant. It’s your personal information, and you have to guard it – every minute of every day. But who has time for that?
The best way to take care of your information is to sign up for LifeLock. Call or go online today.
Receive 30 days free and get a 10 percent discount on enrollment with the LifeLock Promo Code “Defense.”
