Queens women cuffed in identity theft ring
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
A pair of Queens
women are facing
serious jail time after
being arrested for
their alleged roles in a
loan fraud scheme that
swindled five credit
unions out of more
than $250,000 in cash
— and stole identities
from unsuspecting
victims.
Amber Mantock,
25, of Astoria and
Summer Aboushady,
26, of Jackson Heights
were among the
five suspected ring
participants arrested
on Feb. 26 following a
six-month investigation
by the Nassau County
District Attorney’s
office and the U.S. Postal
Inspection Service.
According to
Nassau County District
Attorney Madeline
Singas, Mantock and
Aboushady allegedly
worked with three
others from Brooklyn
and New Jersey to
steal identities in order
to obtain loans from
credit unions ranging
between $7,500 and
$35,000.
The ring obtained the
loans through online
applications, using
the names and Social
Security numbers of
unsuspecting victims
to fraudulently obtain
the cash.
“The effects of
this type of fraud are
devastating for those
who have to reclaim
their identities and
the banks that have
to recoup financial
Queens residents Amber Mantock (l.) and Summer Aboushady (r.) are accused of participating in a major credit union loan fraud ring.
losses,” Singas said
in announcing the
charges on March 1.
“This investigation,
one of the largest
identity theft cases we
have ever investigated,
highlights the
importance of strong
working relationships
among all levels of
law enforcement.”
Law enforcement
sources said that
Brooklyn’s Dascon
Sears, who owns an
operates Sears Credit
Advisory Counselling
LLC, a credit repair
service, out of his
apartment, allegedly
led the operation,
which started up in
February 2018.
Over the course
of a calendar year,
authorities said,
Sears’ alleged ring
filed for more than 100
loans with the Nassau
Educators Federal
Credit Union, Pentagon
Federal Credit Union,
Digital Credit Union,
Photos courtesy of the Nassau County DA’s Offi ce
Comtrust Federal
Credit Union and Navy
Federal Credit Union.
They stole the victims
identities from various
sources, including
school and hospital
websites.
Prosecutors noted
that Aboushady, who
worked for Capital One
Bank, allegedly stole
account information
and sold it to other
members of the ring.
She additionally
opened accounts on
Sears’ behalf, using
the victims’ names.
In submitting the
loan applications
electronically, the
ring participants
used a money order
to pay for the process.
Once the credit union
approved the loans,
they then deposited the
proceeds into the bank
accounts that Sears
fraudulently opened.
Law enforcement
sources said that Sears,
Mantock and two other
suspects — Nyantakyi
Boateng, 32, of Perth
Amboy, New Jersey,
and Konstantinos
Toikas, 28, of Brooklyn
— eventually withdrew
the loan proceeds
from ATMs and went
on spending sprees,
paying for personal
expenses such as
car loans, rent and
airline tickets.
Singas noted that
the ring was able to
secure more than
$250,000 in loans, but
had sought more than
$1 million from the
credit unions. The
approximate amount
of stolen proceeds is
expected to increase
as investigators sort
through evidence
recovered during
raids at the ring
participants’ homes.
The ring was
uncovered after the
credit unions became
aware of loans being in
arrears and discovering
that the purported
account holders
had been victims of
identity fraud. The
Nassau Educators
Federal Credit Union
then reported their
financial losses to
the Nassau County
District Attorney’s
office, which launched
the investigation.
Anyone who believes
they may have been
a victim of the credit
fraud ring should call
the Nassau County
District Attorney’s
Financial Crimes
Bureau at 516-571-2149.
Reach reporter
Robert Pozarycki by
e-mail at rpozarycki@
qns.com or by phone at
(718) 224-5863 ext. 204.
Contact the newsroom:
718-260-4545 • timesledgernews@schnepsmedia.com
TIMESLEDGER,28 MARCH 8-14, 2019 TIMESLEDGER.COM
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