Female Initiated Credit Fraud

A Gang of Women Conspirators Committed Credit Fraud

Miracle Howard, an intake representative at Sentara Port Warwick, and two other women were accused of credit card fraud. Sentara Port Warwick is a medical care center, located in Newport News, VA. It is a 24/7, free-standing emergency department with emergency room doctors and other staff members. M. Howard abused of her official position - her duties included admission/registration of in- and outpatients and accepting the payments for healthcare services. Registration process involves personal identification, which means Howard ha daces to patients' personal information through their driver's licenses and other ID documents. A significant part of payments were made with credit cards. This kind of job with free access to credit cards and ID information is a happy hunting ground for credit crooks.

Miracle Howard did not miss this tremendous opportunity to carry out fraudulent activities and make several thousands of dollars in charges at online merchants, like Food Lion and others.

The trio worked in a team. Howard accessed the patients' personal data and their card offers details and revealed this info to her accomplices. The two other conspirators - Latresa S. Totten and Warnette P. Morris used this information to make purchases, including gift cards, rental items, utility services, and other goods and services.

All three criminals are indicted jointly in U.S. District Court for 1 count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud (online credit fraud), 8 counts of actually committing wire fraud, 1 count of ID theft, and 3 counts of device fraud associated with unauthorized access. A jury trial for the women is scheduled on November, 13.

The indictment contends that the defendants, using the data obtained from at least 9 victims, illegally charged nearly $4,000 between June 2007 and February 2008. The criminals bought several gift cards, hundreds of dollars worth at Food Lion and Stored Value Marketing that is known to be a provider of gift cards for restaurants and gas stations. They also paid one of Morris' utility bills, using the patients' accounts, and bought a storage space online, according to the indictment.

The investigation, conducted by FBI, got a federal case status partially for the following reason. The electronic wire transactions were from one of the offender's computers to online merchant servers located out of state. Totten, initially accused of credit card fraud, identity theft and larceny in state court, were dismissed these charges in May when the case became federal.

Reportedly, Howard was fired from Sentara Healthcare. And now the center is fully cooperating with the investigation.

Kenneth M. Krakaur, president of Sentara Healthcare's Peninsula region, shows concern over this outrageous incident. According to Mr. Krakaur's words, the medical center takes the issue of the patients' personal information protection very seriously. They have sound procedures that safeguard this data.

He said, Sentara will do its best in terms of credit fraud and identity theft protection in order to prevent their patients' bank cards and credit reports from damage.

That's the latest credit news, exclusively for you. Keep your eyes wide open and beware of ID theft. Otherwise, your good credit card will turn into a bad credit card.

Comments

Gillian, December 02, 2008

This is so mean and awful. Robbing seek people at a non-profit healthcare center
is just a sacriledge... sometimes women are so heartless and mercantile, that
you start wondering how come they are called the waker sex...