FDLE agents arrested today Azalea Brown, 18, of Tampa, on seven counts of criminal use of personal identification information, unlawful possession of personal identification information of another person, and organized scheme to defraud.
Brown was part of a larger fraud ring that operated in various counties, including Hillsborough Pinellas, Alachua, and Orange.
The investigation uncovered that between March 2017 and September 2017, Brown obtained account information and other personal information of several credit card holders. She and others used the information to contact the credit card company and present themselves as the true account holders. Replacement cards were then mailed out. Brown and others used the cards to purchase gift cards and merchandise throughout the state. It is estimated the monetary loss for her transactions exceeds $203,000 and the attempted purchases exceed $31,376.
There were at least eight victims, ranging in age from 65 to 92, who were affected by the fraud.
Brown was taken to the Hillsborough County Jail on a $51,000 bond. The State Attorney’s Office, 10th Judicial Circuit, will prosecute.
