Beverly Hills police arrest 44 in bust of unemployment fraud schemes
SACRAMENTO — Citing an epidemic of fraud involving California’s unemployment benefits system, the Beverly Hills Police Department said Wednesday that it has arrested 44 people and confiscated 129 fraudulently obtained debit cards potentially worth more than $2.5 million in benefits issued by the state Employment Development Department.
The arrests have been made since Sept. 3, after suspects with fraudulently obtained cards have visited Beverly Hills stores, restaurants and other businesses to make purchases, according to a department statement.
More than $289,000 in U.S. currency and seven handguns have also been seized.
“There are millions of tax dollars being spent fraudulently as a result of this trend,” Police Chief Dominick Rivetti said in a statement. “The Beverly Hills Police Department is also working closely with our business community to keep them well-informed of this trend in an effort to mitigate these crimes within our city.”
Read more: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-09-16/edd-fraud-arrests-beverly-hills-california-unemployment-benefits