Federal Reserve Chairman Victim of Identity Theft
If any news story points to the fact that ANYONE can be a target of identity theft, this one certainly takes the cake. The nation’s top banker, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke, was swept up in a fraud ring when a thief stole Ms. Bernanke’s pocketbook from a Starbucks in August 2008. That is right. Something as simple as a stolen purse could lead to identity theft — even if the person is a high profile Washington official.
The fraud came to light when someone tried to deposit a $900 check from an account jointly held by Mr. Bernanke and his wife, Anna. And, this crime is now part of what federal prosecutors now say was a wide-ranging identity fraud scheme. The Bernankes were among hundreds of victims of the alleged fraud, which prosecutors say involved accomplices receiving stolen goods and quickly creating fake identification with laptops, scanners and printers. Other targets of the ring included an assistant Michigan district attorney and at least 10 financial institutions.
Although we have to say, it certainly takes guts to try to defraud Federal Reserve Chairman. These criminals have to either be the boldest, or dumbest on record. What do you all think about this?
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The article only shows that any one can lose their identity. I guess, the thieves did not even realise the value of those accounts.
On a lighter note, I think he could have easily printed the money he lost, so no loss for him!!
Bernanke is quoted in the article: “I am grateful for the law enforcement officers who patiently and diligently work to solve and prevent these financial crimes.”
It’s obvious Chairman Bernanke doesn’t understand what’s really going on with identity theft and fraud. Little if any effort is made by law enforcement to solve the majority of identity theft crimes. This one just happened to be large enough to get the attention of law enforcement.
He is also pretty naive, suggesting that anything important is being done to prevent identity theft and related fraud. Does he not know that business groups, including American Medical Association, are making every effort to prevent enforcement of the Red Flags Rule? It would be the only serious effort by legislators and the FTC to prevent identity fraud.