In total, the scheme brought in more than $4.4 million for the scammers. (Credit: LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS/Adobe Stock)
A Texas man has been sentenced to 13 years in federal prison for orchestrating a scheme to commit wire fraud by stealing customer information from insurance claims.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, Jordan Ford and his co-conspirators recruited employees from at least three insurance companies to pull customers’ personal information from legitimate claims, which they then turned over to Ford.
Ford used the stolen information to pose as a client, call the insurance company and ask that the insurer update the account’s payment information. This ensured claim payments that were due to insureds were rerouted to an account controlled by Ford and he co-conspirators.
Altogether, the scammers raked in more than $4.4 million.
As part of his sentencing, Ford is also required to pay just over $4.4 million in restitution to the defrauded insurance companies.
All nine defendants in the case plead guilty. In addition to Ford, the defendants include Ford’s lieutenant, Humberto Corona; Jaquan Hall and Elexis McLain, who recruited insurance employees and received and distributed the illegally procured funds; and insurance employees Timothy Starling, Desiree Thomas, Daja Webb and Sesedrick Wedlow, who received money for handing over stolen client information and allowing Ford to access company systems.
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