In 2021, the Columbus Ohio Police Department began receiving complaints from people in the community and other states about an unknown person using a Columbus, Georgia, address to apply for driver’s license renewals and replacements in their names. That address was listed as the residence of Amanah Childs. Over a hundred complaints later the police department paid a visit and discovered that she had big plans.
Turns out that Childs had obtained over 200 stolen identities and was in the process of filing for more driver licenses in order to implement her scheme to open credit accounts, take out loans, and rack up debt in victim’s names to profit personally. Law enforcement identified 20 instances where Childs fraudulently applied online for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA). Fourteen fraudulent applications were submitted in the names of the stolen identities, using the driver’s licenses that she fraudulently obtained with the stolen personal identifications. All but one of the applications were rejected. Childs also submitted six fraudulent applications in her own name claiming nonexistent businesses with fake gross revenues, costs of goods sold and other false information where she had more success. The total in applications was $1,006,600; the actual loss was $10,000.
Childs was not a successful fraudster with her loan schemes. But she was very accomplished in stealing identities and obtaining their drivers licenses. While Childs plans may have been foiled, over 200 people have had their identities compromised. Childs pleaded guilty on June 16, 2023. Her sentencing is scheduled for August 29, 2023.
Today’s Fraud Of The Day is based on article “Columbus woman faked her ID dozens of times to get loans, licenses. Now she faces prison” published by Columbus Ledger-Enquirer on June 16, 2023
Columbus woman accused of using other people’s identities to apply for driver’s licenses has pleaded guilty in federal court.
Investigators searching the home of 43-year-old Amanah Childs found driver’s license application and renewal paperwork, credit cards and other people’s mail after a rash of complaints about someone fraudulently applying for licenses.
They traced those applications to Childs, who pleaded guilty Tuesday to wire fraud and to aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Judge Clay Land set her sentencing for Aug. 29, at the federal courthouse in Columbus.
