According to The Associated Press, three residents of Pennsylvania have been charged with stealing the identities of prison inmates in the state, which led to the theft of $70,000 in tax refunds.
The news source reports the trio has been charged with money laundering, conspiracy and
identity theft. In total, 185 prisoners' records were affected by the act.
"This was an intricate scheme that allegedly used stolen personal information, fabricated employment histories, bogus addresses and numerous debit card accounts and bank accounts to steal money from the taxpayers of Pennsylvania," said Attorney General Linda Kelly.
To steal the money from the inmates, the trio allegedly used tax preparation software and filed faulty returns on behalf of the prisoners. To do this, those charged allegedly fabricated job histories, addresses and debit card accounts, the source indicates.
Adam Levin, chairman for Identity Theft 911, has a blog about the concerns consumers face when they're hit with identity theft and offers advice for how best to deal with these crimes.
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