BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK – Rhonda Cook, age 61, of Syracuse, New York made her initial appearance September 14, 2026, in federal court on charges of social security fraud and theft of government property. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Amy Connelly, Special Agent-in-Charge, Boston–New York–Philadelphia Field Division, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (SSA OIG) made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Cook received and kept Social Security money intended for a Social Security recipient while serving as a representative payee for that recipient and did not use the money for the benefit of the recipient. This action is part of an ongoing effort of the Trump Administration’s Fraud Task Force aimed at eliminating fraud across the country. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed…
THE TD BANK INSIDER “BRIBE-FOR-DATA” SCHEME (USA)
Date: February 17, 2026 Perpetrator: Edward Low (Former Bank Employee)
Case Description: In a high-profile case of “Insider Threat,” Edward Low, a former employee of TD Bank in New York, pleaded guilty in a New Jersey federal court to accepting bribes in exchange for confidential customer data. Between 2021 and 2022, Low leveraged his internal access to harvest the personal details of high-balance account holders. He then sold this “hot data” to external fraud syndicates for as little as $26,700 in personal kickbacks.
The external fraudsters used the information Low provided to conduct “Account Takeovers” (ATO), creating fraudulent checks and falsifying bank records to drain over $500,000 from unsuspecting customers. Low even went as far as helping co-conspirators open shell company accounts at a second financial institution where he was later employed. He now faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. This case has sent shockwaves through the global banking sector, highlighting that even the most robust external firewalls cannot protect against a “rogue insider” with administrative credentials.
Link to Original: US Dept of Justice – TD Bank Insider Plea