In recent times, Fraud comes in different versions and modus operandi.
Technologies have aided quite a number of crimes
beyond imaginations of the affected individuals, organization, or country
The below story from Yahoo news is an indication of
another tech crime was committed by a Pennsylvania guy in the United States.
Full details below:
NEW YORK (AP) — A Pennsylvania man was charged Tuesday
with creating fake online identities for ex-President Donald Trump's brother
and youngest son to dupe hundreds of people nationwide into donating thousands
of dollars to what prosecutors described as a phony political organization.
Joshua Hall, 22, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, was
released on $25,000 bail after appearing in Harrisburg federal court to face
charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he could
face up to 22 years in prison.
Prosecutors said Hall spent contributions on personal
expenses after soliciting donations to his non-existent political affinity
organization.
A message seeking comment was sent to his lawyer.
According to court papers, Hall defrauded donors from
September 2019 through last December by falsely claiming he was raising funds
to support Trump's reelection.
Central to the scheme was Hall's impersonation of
members of Trump's family, prosecutors said. They said he created social media
accounts bearing the names and photographs of Trump's brother and son to
convince over 100,000 online followers that he was close to Trump's family.
According to a criminal complaint in Manhattan federal
court, Hall increased his efforts last July, soliciting contributions on a
crowdfunding site for what he said would be “field organizing, events, and
merchandise” by his political organization.
Hall created a social media account bearing the name
and photograph of Trump's brother, Robert, and then made it appear that the
brother was supporting his bogus organization until the brother's August death,
the complaint said.
Three days after the death, Hall created an account
that made it appear that Trump's then 14-year-old son, Barron, was supporting
him, the complaint said.
The complaint said that in one social media post, Hall
impersonated Barron Trump to make it seem that Trump's son called Hall a
“friend and partner” and said: “Josh is an amazing patriot who is doing
tremendous things for our great country. He has my COMPLETE AND TOTAL
ENDORSEMENT!”
In August, Hall said in a private message on social
media about the funds he had raised that he “hadn’t seen a dime of that money
personally,” court papers said.
The crowdfunding site closed the account after Hall
failed last December to document how he used the funds he had raised, the
complaint said.
Reference: news.yahoo.com
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