East St.Louis Caretaker Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Identities of Elderly Clients

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Southern District of Illinois

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, April 22, 2021

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A woman who abused her employment with an in-home health care company and stole the identities of her elderly clients is heading to prison. Erica S. Rose, 31, of East Saint Louis, Illinois, was sentenced today to one year and one day in federal prison and two years of court supervision after her release. Rose pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud and aggravated identity theft last November.

In 2018, Rose worked for a company called CareLink and gained access to the homes of her elderly victims as their hired caretaker. While inside, she stole social security numbers and other identifying information  and  passed  the  stolen  information  along  to  her  co-defendant, Ashley  McKinney. McKinney  allegedly  used  victims’  funds  and  identities  to  withdraw  money from  ATMs,  deposit fraudulent checks, and even purchase a car online for over $28,000.

There is an outstanding warrant for McKinney’s arrest in this case.

As part of her sentence, Rose was ordered to pay $9,864.71 in restitution.

The investigation was conducted by detectives from the Edwardsville Police Department, Belleville Police Department, Swansea Police Department, and St. Clair County   heriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Luke J. Weissler.

Source:

East St.Louis Caretaker Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Identities of Elderly Clients

Scammers impersonating Social Security officials are out to steal identities: Gianaris

State Sen. Michael Gianaris

State Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) issued a warning to New York consumers Monday about a new scam recently uncovered by the Federal Trade Commission in which imposters are tricking people into sharing their Social Security numbers over the phone and through a website. Callers claiming to be representatives of the Social Security Administration are contacting consumers, claiming a computer glitch requires them to ask for their Social Security numbers.

The Social Security Administration does not contact people directly to confirm that information.

“These fraudsters are our to steal identities and wreak havoc on the lives of New Yorkers,” Gianaris said. “I urge everyone to follow common sense advice and never divulge a Social Security number or other personal information to strangers over the phone or Internet.”

Additionally, fake websites have been created to target people seeking new copies of their Social Security cards. New cards are only available by submitting paper documents to the Social Security Administration.

“These scams often target vulnerable New Yorkers, including seniors and new Americans,” Gianaris said. “Everyone should be vigilant about protecting their identities.”

Gianaris urges consumers who receive these calls to contact the Social Security Administration directly at 1(800) 772-1213 with any questions. Gianaris has taken steps to protect consumers from scams and fraud, voting for legislation which would treat financial exploitation of the elderly as larceny and another measure increasing the criminal penalty for identity theft.

Full Article & Source:
Scammers impersonating Social Security officials are out to steal identities: Gianaris

She spent five nights in jail. She was actually a victim of the crime, sheriff says.

Hancock County - A Saucier woman accused of stealing identities and exploiting an elderly man will not face criminal charges after all.

The five charges on which Lynda Wolfe was arrested have been dismissed, Sheriff Ricky Adam confirmed Wednesday.

Shara Faye Leon, the neighbor arrested with Wolfe, now faces a new charge of identity theft.

“Ms. Wolfe was indeed a victim of identity theft herself,” Adam said.

“Early on, it appeared she was involved because her name was on some paid receipts. In actuality, after further investigation and looking at her information, she was indeed a victim herself.”

Deputies arrested Wolfe, 55, on five charges Nov. 14.

She spent five nights in jail on bonds that totaled $55,000.

Both women initially were accused of stealing identities and paying bills with other people’s money. One of the victims was an elderly man, the sheriff said.

Leon, 39, has remained in custody at the Hancock County jail on the same bonds set for Wolfe.

An investigator presented Leon with an arrest warrant Tuesday for the new charge. She has no bond on that charge pending an initial court appearance, the jail docket showed Wednesday.

The original charges filed are exploitation of a vulnerable adult, identity theft, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit identity theft.

Full Article & Source:
She spent five nights in jail. She was actually a victim of the crime, sheriff says.