Worst Person of the Week: Credit Counselor Indicted on Identity Theft Charges

Welcome to the ever popular “Worst Person of the Week” post from the ITAC blog. As always, we shine a light on nefarious criminals (there is no shortage of these folks) who do really bad things with regards to stealing others identities. So, we always thought that the role of a credit counselor was to education to consumers about how to avoid incurring debts that cannot be repaid. It is a vital service for those who are facing economic hardships (no shortage of these folks as well).

So, we have to admit that we were pretty shocked when we stumbled upon a story of a Trenton, NJ-based credit counselor who actually stole the identities of those he counseled. Wayne Bessant, former operator of BNB Credit Counseling is now being charged with identity theft, attempted theft by deception, wrongful impersonation, fraudulent use of credit cards and computer theft via accessing and disclosing data. So what did he buy with his ill-gained access to his clients’ credit? He bought a 2009 Cadillac Escolade and a 2007 Mercedes Benz, and he changed mortgage account mailings to Trenton addresses.

According to the Trentonian newspaper, Bessant is also under indictment for two counts of theft by unlawful taking from a prosecutor’s office’s ECU investigation during the fall of 2008 where he allegedly stole $200,000 from Commerce (Now TD) Bank through fraudulent fund transfers. He is on supervised release for a 2001 drug conviction, and is currently in jail on $300,000 bail on those alleged crimes.

So, congratulations Wayne Bessant. You get the dubious honor of being the “Worst Person of the Week.”