MIAMI – More than 100 people have been charged in government impersonation, fraud and theft schemes involving tens of thousands of stolen personal identities, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Tuesday.
The arrests involve more than 80 federal cases.
Southern District of Florida U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer, along with representatives from the IRS, local police and other local and federal organizations announced the cases Tuesday during a news conference.
The U.S. Attorney's Office established the South Florida Identity Theft Fraud Strike Force in 2012. The strike force identified the accused fraudsters, who agents said attempted to steal more than $60 million from individuals, businesses and government agencies.
"The schemes are varied," Ferrer said. "These fraudsters have no shame. They will do whatever it takes. They will use whatever technology is available to them in order to get our information and use it to steal hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars."
The cases involve various types of criminals, from government impersonators to credit card thieves. An employee of the Jackson Health System is also accused of stealing patient records.
Since the strike force was established in 2012, the U.S. Attorney's Office has charged more than 600 people who were allegedly responsible for more than $400 million in losses, authorities said.
Despite their success, authorities said South Florida remains the epicenter of identity theft.