https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3Tu0nmhieMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3Tu0nmhieM
When I first started writing this book, I thought my parents lost $40,000. That was devastating
enough.
I was wrong.
When we finally tallied everything–when all the fraud claims were filed, when every
unauthorized transaction was documented, when we went through statements going back six
months instead of two, when we checked accounts we didn’t even realize had been
compromised–the real number emerged:
Total Losses Across All Accounts:
- Chase Bank accounts: $50,000+
- Chase Sapphire account: $16,000
- American Express charges: $38,567
- Bank of America account: $50,000+
- U.S. Bank account: $29,625
- Additional fraudulent accounts and charges: $63,100
Less: Legitimate Brighthouse Financial Credits: -$8,147
Grand Total: $239,145
Two hundred thirty-nine thousand, one hundred forty-five dollars.
Stolen from two people in their 90s who worked their entire lives to save for retirement.
Let that sink in.
That’s not a $40,000 problem. That’s not even a $184,000 problem.
That’s a quarter-million-dollar problem (actually $239,145).
The Police Won’t Help You
Here’s the part that keeps me awake at night.
We did everything right after discovering the fraud:
? Filed police report immediately (Orange County Sheriff Case #240918-0655)
? Provided complete documentation (bank statements, cancelled checks, transaction records)
? Gave them the names of the perpetrators (Dameon Markuffo, Evalyn Rojas, Joseph Briones,
and others)
? Gave them the address where checks were sent (691 S. Rosario Ave., San Diego, CA)
? Gave them the names used for the address change (Rhonda and Federico Bustos)
? Provided evidence of utility accounts in San Diego and San Jacinto
? Connected all the dots for them
We handed them the case on a silver platter.
Want to know what happened?
Nothing.
Detective M. Harris took our statement. Requested additional evidence (which we provided via
the Axon Community Request system). Assigned a case number.
And then… silence.
No arrests. No follow-up investigations. No updates. No prosecutions.
Over $239,000 stolen. Complete documentation. Names and addresses of suspects. Zero
law enforcement action.
The Uncomfortable Truth About Police Priorities
After six months of waiting for justice, I finally asked Detective Harris directly: “Why isn’t
anyone pursuing this?”
His answer was brutally honest:
“Look, I understand your frustration. But here’s the reality: The banks are going to reimburse
most of this through their fraud departments. From the department’s perspective, there’s no
victim loss to recover. We have limited resources, and we prioritize cases where victims have
unrecoverable losses or where there’s physical violence.”
Translation: Because the banks will eat the loss, nobody cares.
The Insane Double Standard
Let me make sure you understand this correctly.
Scenario A: Armed Bank Robbery – Criminal walks into Chase Bank – Demands $50,000 at
gunpoint – Walks out with cash – Result: Every cop in the county is looking for them. FBI
involved. Media coverage. Massive manhunt. If caught: 10-20 years in prison.
Scenario B: Identity Theft (Our Case) – Criminal forges checks – Steals $50,000+ from Chase
accounts – Does this from home, safely – Result: Police file a report and do nothing. No
investigation. No arrests. No prosecution. If caught: Maybe probation.
Same bank. Same dollar amount. Completely different response.
Why?
In Scenario A: Bank loses money they have to write off immediately.
In Scenario B: Bank’s fraud insurance covers it, so they don’t care.
The result? Identity theft is essentially a zero-risk, high-reward crime.
The criminals who stole $184,000 from my parents are still out there. They’re stealing from
other families right now. They’ll never be caught. They’ll never see the inside of a courtroom.
Because nobody is looking for them.
If you implement the strategies in this book, you will dramatically reduce your fraud risk. If
fraud does occur, you’ll detect it immediately and minimize damage. You’ll recover faster. You’ll
be prepared.
But you have to do the work.
If you’re not willing to do that, stop reading now. This book can’t help you.
If you ARE willing to do that, keep reading. This book will change your life.
One More Thing
Throughout this book, I’ve changed all account numbers to “123456789” for privacy.
Everything else is real: – Every transaction amount – Every date – Every payee name – Every
detail – Every emotion – Every failure – Every lesson
This isn’t a hypothetical case study.
Because nobody else will.
Let’s begin.
Works Rights Compliance Alliance 