Jacksonville man goes to prison for using twin brother's identity to scam veteran benefits
A 64-year-old Jacksonville man heads to federal prison for two years after he pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft for stealing his twin brother's personal information to secure veteran benefits, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
As Wayne Bowen spends his time behind bars, he has also been ordered to reimburse $63,773 for government benefits to various federal agencies that he stole from, prosecutors said.
Veterans are especially vulnerable to fraud and identity theft, with the Federal Trade Commission recording about 41,000 incidents in 2020.
This identity theft occurred in 2014 when Bowen used the name, Social Security card and military discharge papers of his estranged twin to apply for federally subsidized housing benefits, according to his plea agreement.
Identity theft: Jacksonville men charged with falsifying voter registration forms
Cyber ID theft: 7 ways to protect yourself from cybercriminals
Stealing DNA: A genetic-testing scam is targeting seniors and ripping off Medicare
Prosecutors said Bowen is not a military veteran. But the specific subsidy he applied for is funded by the U.S. departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, specifically for indigent military veterans, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Bowen initially told federal agents that he, like his twin, had served and been honorably discharged from the U.S. Army. But Bowen eventually relented and admitted that those were lies, adding that he had been using his brother’s identity for years when he was interviewed, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
He also said he had obtained a Florida identification card using his twin’s identity and even been arrested and convicted of felonies under that name, prosecutors said.
Latitude 360:Troubled CEO Brent Brown of defunct Jacksonville entertainment venue faces federal indictment
Veteran's Affairs provided Bowen with $32,434 in medical services, while he also got $18,905 in federal housing subsidies and $12,434 in nutritional benefits, prosecutors said. Bowen’s twin has confirmed that he did not apply for any of these benefits and never gave Bowen permission to use his name.
Bowen had pleaded guilty on Jan. 20.
dscanlan@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4549
Veterans and identity theft
The VA's "Veteran Through its Privacy Service" (va.gov/identitytheft/vaprotects.asp) works to ensure that the personally identifiable information and protected health information of veterans and their beneficiaries are safeguarded. That is done through credit monitoring, awareness training, reduced use of Social Security numbers and changes in records management.
Those concerned their identity has been stolen can call the toll-free VA Veteran Identity Theft Helpline at (855) 578-5492, or via email at PrivacyService@va.gov.
ID-theft prevention tips
• Create strong computer passwords that employ a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Steer clear of obvious passwords like your birth date, mother’s maiden name or the last four digits of your Social Security number.
• Lock up financial documents and records containing sensitive information and don't carry items with personal information.
• Shred sensitive documents.
• Secure your wireless network and lock your computer.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Identity theft: Jacksonville man stole veteran benefits from twin brother
