The New York District Attorney’s Office says that a massive identity theft ring stems from a Manhattan dental receptionist who stole customers’ personal information.
Four people, including 27-year-old Annie Vuong, the alleged receptionist, now stand accused of 394 charges relating to theft of $700,000. All four say they’re not guilty.
The scheme centers around the fact that it’s actually quite easy, if you have enough of a person’s information, to create an Apple account, and with one of those, it only takes about 30 seconds to get approved for a program to buy an Apple-themed Barclays Visa card. With one of those, customers can instantly turn right back around and buy Apple gift cards, which can be redeemed in Apple’s physical stores.
Though it’s not entirely clear how Voung became involved, Voung allegedly began emailing that stolen information to former Apple employee Devin Bazile, 30, who used it to create fake Apple IDs and corresponding credit cards—once making 45 in a single day. Three more people, including Bazile’s sister, became wrapped up in the scheme, according to the D.A., as did several Apple clerks who allegedly knowingly scanned the ill-gotten gift cards but were not named in the indictment.
The scheme only collapsed recently, the office said, after Bazile was identified by his Internet protocol address and arrested in New Amsterdam.
They face trial on April 9.
H/T IT World | Illustration by Jason Reed