GREENSBORO, N.C. – As many as eight area credit unions may have fallen victim to a new identity theft scheme with which scamsters are using the powers to freeze credit reports to access loans and credit cards.
Three members of a ring have been charged with siphoning as much as $100,000 from area credit unions and banks by pretending to be identity-theft victims and contacting credit bureau Equifax to temporarily freeze their credit reports and having them "cleaned" of negative information, according to Greensboro Police. Once they obtained the cleansed credit reports, they would go to area banks to get personal loans, auto loans and credit cards.
Among the credit unions hit were: Summit CU; Greensboro Municipal CU; Choice Community CU; Coastal FCU, Truliant FCU; Piedmont Advantage CU and Carolina Postal CU.
One suspect was charged with obtaining more than $109,000 for herself and others by false pretense from eight banks and credit unions. Another was charged with obtaining a car loan for $23,212 from Choice Community CU under false pretenses. And a third with securing a $5,000 credit card and a $15,000 loan under false pretenses from Coastal FCU.
