If you don’t want anyone to know where you are, don’t post a picture of yourself on any social media platform. An article posted on WorkersCompensation.com tells about an Ohio woman who was trying to hide from workers’ compensation investigators, but revealed her location in another state through a Facebook post. (Yes, social media posts are traceable.)
The story states that the woman failed to show up for an arraignment regarding charges that she was working as a nursing assistant at three separate nursing homes located in Ohio and Kentucky, while receiving disability benefits over a two-year period of time. (The purpose of workers’ compensation is to help beneficiaries stay afloat while unable to work, not provide a second income.)
While on the run from the law, it appears that she wanted all of her social media friends to know that she was shopping at a big box store in Alabama, so she tagged herself on Facebook. (Maybe she wanted to share that there was a really good sale going on at the time.) The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Special Investigation Division was monitoring her social media account and was able to discover her location through the post, alerting local authorities.
The woman pleaded guilty to one count of workers’ compensation fraud, a first-degree misdemeanor. She was ordered to pay $8,252.23 in restitution and placed on community control with supervision for three years. If she violates the terms, she will serve a six-month jail sentence.
This case is a perfect example of how crime eventually catches up to the criminal in the end. (They can run, but they can’t hide.) They usually make a mistake at some point because they are overconfident in their abilities to elude punishment. It’s a sure bet that this woman will be more reluctant to post about her shopping trips from now on.
Source: Today’s ”Fraud of the Day” is based on an article titled, ”Facebook Post Leads Ohio Fraud Investigators to Alabama,” posted on WorkersCompensation.com on February 9, 2015.
Columbus, OH (WorkersCompensation.com) – A Cincinnati (Hamilton County) woman was brought to justice in Ohio after workers’ compensation investigators spotted a Facebook post where she had publicly tagged herself at a Wal-Mart store in Alabama.
Angela Knapper was sentenced Nov. 18, 2014 in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas for working while receiving workplace injury benefits. She pleaded guilty to one count of workers’ compensation fraud, a first-degree misdemeanor.
