- Friday, 27 November 2009
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If fortune turns against you, even jelly breaks your tooth - Persian proverb
ID Thief rings help desk
A DAFT would-be ID thief thought it would be a wizard wheeze to nick a laptop and a driver's licence printer from the Missouri Department of Revenue.
The only problem was that the taxman's Apple laptop was locked and the printer needed some drivers to run.
Faced with the knowledge that there was the possibility of some really could ID fraud if he could both machine's running, Timothy Scott Short, 33, took the laptop to the ironically named Apple Store Genius Bar to get help unlocking the laptop.
According to IDG, Short also called the printer's makers Digimarc for support a couple of days later asking whether he would be able to obtain printer drivers.
The call was taped and when Secret Service Special Agent John Bush heard the tape he recognised Short's voice and phone number on the recording from another, unrelated, ID theft investigation.
Apparently Short planned all his ID crimes from home and just used his house landline.
Short has been charged with possession of document-making implements with the intent to use them for fraud. He now faces a $250,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison.
More here. ยต
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Ha! Ha!
Really smart, using one's home as crime base and one's personal (fixed) line as tool for ID theft. When they distributed brain cells somebody obviously tipped his bowl !
Well, at least there's an inspector that can boast about locking up one more threat to the country.
10 years for 'intent' eh, he should move to north korea were they are a bit more fair and democratic.
Damn 250,000$??? He would have been better have selling crack on the streets! Prolly made more money to!
In at least one country, if he declared this as his occupation - he would get tax relief on things that he uses for his trade, like his own phone bill and a fuel allowance.

It is normally best to declare your occupation as 'ID Fraudster' - or something similarly incriminating AFTER you have been caught, otherwise the trading period tends to be quite short.

Shonky.