Crime & Safety

Milton Man Briefly Loses Daughter's College Tuition to Fraud

A suspect stole $15,100 from the victim's checking account by transferring it into a fraudulent account.

A Milton man trying to withdraw some money from an ATM on Aug. 17 discovered $15,100 was transferred out of his checking account, putting his daughter's college tuition in jeopardy.

The victim told Milton police on Aug. 18 that a Wells Fargo branch employee told him a woman had opened up another checking account, listing herself as the primary owner and him as the secondary owner. This suspect linked his account with the fraudulent checking account, transferring the $15,100 without his knowledge.

He said his bank reimbursed him for the missing money, putting it into a new account after closing his original checking account. He has called his other banks to tell them about this fraud, and to flag his accounts for any suspicious activity.

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Florida Man Charged with Attempting to Pass Counterfeit Bills

A Florida man was arrested in Milton after allegedly attempting to pass $400 in counterfeit bills at the Walmart on Windward Parkway on Aug. 18.

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The suspect told Milton police he withdrew $400 out of a Well Fargo bank branch in Philadelphia before coming to Atlanta. A police incident report stated he asked the cashier what was the problem and that he just got the money from a Bank of American branch.

A check by police showed the suspect had a withdrawal ticket from a Philadelphia Wells Fargo branch with a $300 deposit, and withdrawals of $300 and $100.

The 27 fake bills – in $10 and $20 denominations – were stored as evidence.

Dwayne F. Weathers, 47, of Seffner, FL, was charged with forgery in the first.

Milton Woman Suspects Foreclosure 'Prevention' Company Source of Fraud

A Milton woman was the victim of identity and credit fraud, and she believes a company that failed to help her prevent foreclosure on her former home in Atlanta is the culprit.

The victim told Milton police on Aug. 17 that she received a letter in the mail from Barclay Bank that said she was denied credit. However, she has never applied for credit with the bank, which is used by Apple for financing electronics.

She also received a bill from ATT for $281.62 on an account someone fraudulently opened. Three iPhones were purchased with family plan service agreements. She contacted ATT to disconnect the service and inform them of the fraud.

After checking her credit, she discovered a credit inquiry from Sprint. The wireless company sent her a bill for two nmbers totaling $264.34 for yet another account she did not open.

All three companies said the accounts were opened using a driver's license with her information and Social Security number. The bills were being sent to an address for the home she was foreclosed on. She told police that in her attempt to save her home from foreclosure, she used a company that claimed to help people in foreclosure. The company didn't deliver on its promises, and wen touf of business. She said it had much personal information about her, leading her to believe this is where her identity was compromised.

Credit Card Companies Safeguard Milton Man's Accounts

A Milton man's credit card companies kept him safe from fraud by checking with him or cancelling credit cards when fraud was attempted.

The Morris Road resident reported to Milton police that on Aug. 8 he received an emial from Capital One asking him to confirm his request to change his address and add an authorized user. He called Capital One and told them he didn't ask for the changes, cancelled that card and put a block on the account. A day later, he was told by SunTrust Bank that an unknown person had tried to do the same thing to this account. Two days later, his Target card was declined. After calling the number on the back of the card, he learned that someone tried the same thing with this department store credit card. Target had already cancelled his card and issued a new one, which explained why his card was declined.

No purchases were made on any of the cards.

Another Tax Filer Victimized by Identity Fraud

An Orchard Bend Trail couple were trying to file their taxes on Aug. 13 when a message kept popping up saying, "Social Security Number is in use."

A call to the IRS revealed that someone had used her Social Security number to file a tax return, and a check had been sent out a few months ago.

She called her credit card companies to let them know about the identity fraud, and to cancel her credit cards. Milton police advised her to call them and ask for a fraud alert on all of her banking cards.


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