COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC) — The South Carolina State Grand Jury returned 125 counts in seven separate indictments alleging Keiron Murray committed nearly $1.4 million in auto loan scams, Attorney General Alan Wilson announced.
The indictments allege that Murray used various small dealerships to obtain fraudulent loans from banks for vehicles that were never in the dealerships’ or the supposed purchaser’s possession. Murray would then allegedly steal the loan proceeds.
“Millions of dollars of fraudulent auto loans are a cost that is ultimately borne by consumers throughout South Carolina,” Wilson said. “While accountability for these crimes fundamentally rests on the fraudsters committing them, banking institutions can do a better job of detecting fraud through the loan application process, particularly online. Moreover, more can be done to identify and shut down the various small auto…
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.