Episode 57
This Dumb Online Criminal Used Fake IDs and Cheap Fake Wigs
This episode is sponsored by SEON.
Eric Jaklitchs filed for unemployment benefits from the state of California 78+ times, all using stolen identities. Of those 78+ claims, 68 of them were approved. One might think that to successfully steal $900,000 USD, he would have to be a sophisticated criminal. However, his tactics were anything but sophisticated. And, are actually, pretty humorous.
When it is fairly simple to steal from an organization, who is more to blame?
In total, it has been estimated that the United States Covid relief programs lost over $100 Billion due to fraud since April 2020. Karisse has some personal experience in working with at leat one of the organizations that were impacted by this massive fraud effort, and provides additional context to the complexities that they faced during this time in history. There are additional lessons that can be learned from these attacks for other companies online, including the importance of a layered fraud screening process and a strategy for verifying true identity.
Special thanks to Frank McKenna of the Frank on Fraud Blog for curating the information for this story. And, for including pictures of the wigs Eric Jaklitch used for the fake identities!
Fraudology is hosted by Karisse Hendrick, a fraud fighter with decades of experience advising hundreds of the biggest ecommerce companies in the world on fraud, chargebacks, and other forms of abuse impacting a company's bottom line.
She brings her experience, expertise, and extensive network of experts to this podcast semi weekly, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
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