TV Supergirl Laura Vandervoort Foils A Real-Life International Identity Theft Ring  

Actress Laura Vandervoort helped foil a multi-million dollar international identity theft ring when the ringleaders attempted to use her image as part of the scam. Vandervoort became famous for playing Supergirl in the TV series Smallville

The multi-faceted identity theft ring was noteworthy in its complexity and was unlike anything the FBI had seen before.

The first part of the scam included setting up a fake company and placing job postings on employment websites. The cyber-thieves would then harvest personal data from unsuspecting job seekers.

Another part of the identity theft ring involved using fake travel websites. These websites offered discount air and hotel reservations. The websites scammed money and harvested credit card numbers from unsuspecting people.

The identity theft ringleaders would then download mugshot style photographs from the internet and put them on fake IDs to use for passports, credit applications, and other financial transactions as part of the identity theft ring.

As a result of the complex nature of the ring, the ringleaders were able to scam millions of millions of dollars from unsuspecting people.

The FBI had been tracking the Virginia-based ring for years but were unable to determine the size or the complexity of its operation. An observant FBI agent spotted the image of the Canadian-born actress.

Identity Theft Ring Busted

The FBI claims employees at an American Express Call Center in India would supply the identity theft ringleaders with stolen credit card numbers.

Amit Chaudhry and Jacquelyn Green-Morris were arrested in Virginia last week. Chaudhry is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. Jacquelyn Green-Morris is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Both have hearings scheduled for Monday.

Two other unnamed individuals allegedly involved in the ring were arrested in Georgia.

Prosecutors say the investigation is ongoing, and they are hoping that victims of identity theft ring will come forward. Victims can file a complaint at ic3.gov, and should use the keyword ‘CCTRAVELVICTIM’ in their description of the complaint.