Woman dressed as dead mom to collect retirement funds

[n2doc]

FERNDALE, Wash. -- Police in Whatcom County said a woman donned a wig and makeup to disguise herself and pose as her dead mother to collect thousands in retirement funds.

The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office said 59-year-old Loewen Becker Craft began the fraud in 2007, shortly before her 90-year-old mother died.
Police said when Craft’s mother fell ill, Craft checked her mother into the hospital, using an assumed name for her mother. When Craft’s mother died a short time later, Craft continued to collect more than $145,000 in retirement funds from a Chevron Oil pension fund.


Loewen Craft in disguise
Craft wore a gray wig and makeup to make herself look older and was able to obtain a state I.D. card in her mother’s name, investigators said.
A surveillance photo also showed Craft using a walker.

http://www.kirotv.com/news/27084249/detail.html

[TygrBright]

1. Oh, dear, how awful! POOR Chevron Oil! They might even have to go out of business! n/t

[SDuderstadt]

2. Wait a minute...

you're defending fraud, just because it's Chevron?

[canetoad]

3. I didn't see any defence of fraud in Bright's post

Only a deep and sincere concern for the fiscal wellbeing of Chevron.

[SDuderstadt]

4. Bullshit n/t

[lumberjack_jeff]

6. No. Truly. We're sincerely troubled that someone would exploit Chevron so. n/t

[SDuderstadt]

7. So fraud is okay if...

directed at the right target?

WTF?

[Celebration]

5. Ugh

Creepy, unreal. Prosecute to the fullest extent.

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. I am curious about that "un-related investigation" in the article.

"Police said Craft’s sham was uncovered when her credibility came into question during an unrelated investigation involving Craft’s relatives."

wonder what her relatives were up to.

[SheilaT]

9. While I certainly cannot condone the fraud here,

I'm just slightly surprised that she needed to use wig, make-up, and walker to pass as her mother. Most pension benefits are direct deposited or mailed as a check, I thought. All she had to do was keep on cashing the checks, leave the account open and use the money.

Clearly there was premeditation if she checked her mother into a hospital under an assumed name. I wonder what insurance, if any, covered that hospital stay.