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Fraud
"Fraud," the taking of money under false pretenses, comes in many forms. And it is not the exclusive province of the stereotypical welfare recipient collecting checks under 10 different names or the boiler room telephone scam artist, but more often is perpetrated by:
- the doctor with medicare/medicaid patients submitting false claims;
- the businessman with false insurance claims
- bookeepers who kite checks or commit other financial fraud
- a government contractor cutting corners; or
- the mail order university facilitating student loans and distributing worthless diplomas.
Fraud such as those listed above, related to federal programs, is pursued through our ACE unit.
However, it is identity theft which is creating the most havoc for citizens these days. The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana has taken an aggressive approach to investigating and prosecuting identity theft crimes. The General Crimes Unit is designated to screen, indict and try all forms of identity fraud under federal jurisdiction.
The problem of identity fraud has grown beyond the simple crimes of the past, such as cashing a stolen check with a false driver's license or charging purchases to a stolen credit card. With the advent of the world wide web and instant international and national telecommunications, federal law enforcement is best situated to investigating and prosecuting these complex crimes which occur beyond county and state boundaries.
This Office, working along side of the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is trying to educate the public on the prevention of identity theft as well as the investigation and prosecution of such crimes. If you wish to report an identity theft crime with a loss over $25,000 in this District, contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at (504) 816-3000, the United States Secret Service at (504) 589-4041 or the United States Postal Inspection Service at (504) 589-1200. Also, a list of suggestions for the prevention of identity fraud can be found at the web site of the United States Postal Inspection Service.