A woman in Ohio made more than 1,700 fraudulent returns worth a whopping $266,699 at Home Depot locations in various states — and now she’s landed herself in jail.
The Medina Township Police Department identified the mastermind of the multi-state organized retail fraud scheme as Tracy A. James of Peebles, a village in Southwest Ohio.
According to the investigation, James used fake driver’s licenses and aliases to rack up store credit through fraudulent merchandise returns over the course of several years, MTPD said, per Cleveland 19 News.
The…
This involves defrauding the state or using government systems to steal from individuals.
- Tax Identity Theft: A criminal uses your ID and income details to file a tax return in your name and claim a refund before you do.
- Grant/Benefit Fraud: Falsely claiming unemployment, disability, or social grants that the perpetrator is not entitled to.