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10/28/2021

Camden County Man Admits Role in Stolen Identity Refund Fraud Scheme

US Attorney's Office District of New Jersey

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in a scheme to obtain money through fraudulently obtained refund checks issued by the U.S. Treasury, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.   

Jorge Gutierrez, 42, of Merchantville, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to defraud the United States.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Stolen Identity Refund Fraud (SIRF) is a common type of fraud committed against the United States government that involves the use of stolen identities to commit tax refund fraud. SIRF schemes generally share a number of hallmarks. Perpetrators obtain personal identifying information, including Social Security numbers and dates of birth, from unwitting individuals, who often reside in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. They then complete Form 1040 tax returns using the fraudulently obtained information and falsifying wages earned, taxes withheld, and other data, always ensuring that the fraudulent tax return generates a refund. They direct the U.S. Treasury Department to mail refund checks to locations that the perpetrators control or can access. With the fraudulently obtained refund checks in hand, SIRF perpetrators generate cash proceeds by depositing the checks into bank accounts that they control or cashing the checks at check cashing businesses.

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