ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — A man was federally indicted on charges after falsely claiming his home was damaged by Hurricane Helene, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, Russ Ferguson, announced.
A federal grand jury in Asheville indicted Christian Michael Hall, 49, of Drexel, N.C., on charges of defrauding the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), according to the press release.
On or about Sept. 30, 2024, Hall filed for a disaster application with FEMA seeking benefits for a home in Valdese that was damaged by Helene, according to the indictment. Hall claimed the Valdese property was his primary residence, even though he did not own, rent or live there.
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As a result of the false application, Hall received about $20,932.14 in FEMA benefits, according to the indictment.
Hall was charged…
This type of fraud targets the supply chain and accounts payable departments of businesses.
- Invoice Manipulation: Criminals intercept a legitimate invoice between a supplier and a client and change the banking details to their own. The client pays the bill thinking they are paying their trusted vendor.
- Kickbacks and Bribery: A vendor secretly pays an employee of the purchasing company to ensure their bid is successful or to overlook inflated pricing.