WAYNESBORO, VA (Rocktown Now) — Two people are now in custody related to multiple alleged instances of fraud in the City of Waynesboro.
At around 2:15 PM yesterday, Waynesboro Police responded to a local bank where officers discovered that two suspects, Arlene Whitt and Michael Horton, had used a Waynesboro victim’s information to obtain access to a bank account to obtain money at multiple locations in the area beginning June 13, 2026.
The 32-year-old Whitt was arrested on 4 felony charges including three counts of Obtaining by False Pretenses and one count of Forgery.
Meanwhile, the 30-year-old Horton was charged with misdemeanor counts of Identity Theft and Providing False ID to Law Enforcement.
Both are being held without bond at Middle River Regional Jail.
Anyone with information regarding these incidents should contact Corporal Nystrom at the Waynesboro Police Department.
Insurance fraud involves making false or exaggerated claims to an insurance provider.
- Hard Fraud: Someone deliberately causes a loss (e.g., setting fire to a warehouse or staging a car accident) specifically to collect a payout.
- Soft Fraud: More common and often viewed as “victimless” by the perpetrator. It involves exaggerating a legitimate claim, such as overstating the value of stolen items in a home burglary to cover the deductible.