Orlando police have arrested three people involved in an identity theft ring, which resulted in at least 1,855 victims.
An 85-year-old victim called investigators last Tuesday, to report that his credit card had been fraudulently used by someone who gave the name of Chrystie Hall, to rent a vehicle from Thrifty Car Rental at Orlando International Airport. About $4,000 was charged to the card.
The vehicle was tracked to Robinson and Magnolia Streets in Orlando, where police apprehended two suspects.
Xavier Stephens, 27, one of the suspects was found with a backpack with numerous credit card documents.
Bridgett Bennifield, 38, the other suspect, had a purse with numerous credit card documents in it.
According to police, the documents appeared to be for reservations for travel and included arrival dates, hotel information, names of guests, birth dates and full credit card numbers, expiration dates and security numbers.
Stephens and Bennifield told investigators that Hall, who works at Preferred Guests Resorts, sold them the information.
Police said, each bag contained between 400 and 500 documents which the pair said they purchased for $100 each from Hall. The couple would then resell the credit card documents for $50 a page.
According to investigators the total resale value of the documents that Stephens and Bennifield had in their possession amounted to $92,750. The had been involved in the identity theft ring since December 2014, they said.
Hall, 36, after she was picked up, confirmed that she has worked at Preferred Guest Resorts in Winter Park, for 12 years, and requested an attorney, investigators said.
Orlando believe there could be more than 1,855 victims.
All three suspects, Hall, Stephens and Bennifield face several charges including trafficking in counterfeit credit cards, unlawful credit card lists, grand theft and scheme to defraud. In addition, Stephens and Bennifield face 50 and 68 counts of fraud- possession of personal identification.
The defendants – all of whom have criminal histories – were booked into the Orange County Jail.
If you have done business with this company and feel you may be a victim of identity theft Contact your bank or financial institution with following information OPD Case# 2015-288907. Also contact a credit bureau to see if any other accounts have been opened in your name.
