The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office announced the arrest of 11 individuals on May 3 who operated an identity theft ring that left more than 70 victims in mroe than 30 different towns with a loss of more than $150,000.
Thirteen police departments, including Englewood Police Department, took part in an identity theft task force in partnership with the “White Collar Crimes Units” of the prosecutor’s office.
Throughout 2012 and 2013, police received complaints that unknown individuals had applied for credit accounts under victims’ names for various institutions, including Comenity Bank, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Saks 5th Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Kohl’s, Lowe’s, and Sears. The victims also received notice in the mail that “Authorized Buyers” were added to these new credit accounts.
http://liarcatchers.com/identity_theft_investigation.html
Police were able to identify a connection between all the victims, who had recently refinanced or applied for mortgages at NJ Lenders Corporation, a mortgage brokerage company based in Little Falls. The company kept customer files in a Paterson warehouse called C. Marino Records, where warehouse employee and Paterson resident Kyle Davis would pick up records from NJ Lenders Corporation to store at the facility, said Molinelli.
The 48-year-old Davis would allegedly sell victim profiles for approximately $300 a piece to 32-year-old Paterson resident Shontera Jennings, said Molinelli. Jennings would then allegedly use the information to apply for credit card accounts and add “Authorized Buyers” to the accounts, which gave a “bust out crew,” or the remaining nine individuals arrested, the ability to purchase items utilizing an “account look-up” method and a proof of identification.
“Account lookup” does not require the use of the physical card to purchase items and instead allows a buyer to purchase items just by showing identification that they are an authorized buyer. This method allowed the crew to buy items before a physical card was issued and the victim became aware of the fake account, said Molinelli.
“Shontera Jennings uses that float time in between when the authorization is given by Macy’s for charges to be put onto that card to the time where [the victim] will get [the card],” said Molinelli.
The bust out crew, who would buy everything from pajamas and home goods, would sell these items on the streets of New York City. Since the items were sold on the streets, police were not able to track down the goods, said Molinelli.
“The bust out crew is pretty smart,” said Molinelli. “They know what sells easily on the streets of New York.”
Molinelli said knowledge of the identity theft cases were made possible by victims calling their local police departments. He urged members of the public to not just call their credit card companies when they experience a case of identity theft, but to let the police know so they can work on catching the perpetrators.
“When you get that credit card in the mail, I understand you’re going to call your bank and you will ultimately be successful in reversing [the charges], but let your police know,” said Molinelli.
Englewood Det. Capt. Timothy Torell referred all questions to the prosecutor’s office.
