Jewish Charity’s Donors Allegedly Targeted in Identity Scam

An employee who processed contributions to the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York allegedly used her position to steal donors’ financial information as part of a $2-million fraud scheme, according to Reuters and The New York Times.

Tracy Nelson, 24, was one of 55 suspects charged Friday with grand larceny, identity theft, and other offenses following an 18-month police investigation. Victims of the alleged scam included major UJA-Federation donors such as the Starr Foundation and billionaire Ira Rennert.

Prosecutors said Ms. Nelson; her boyfriend, who worked at an Audi dealership; and other people whose jobs gave them access to wealthy individuals’ bank and credit-card information sold or passed the data to co-conspirators, among them New York gang members, who used it to set up phony accounts, order credit cards, and make fraudulent bank transactions.

Ms. Nelson, who was suspended without pay from the Jewish charity in August when the suspected thefts came to light, pleaded not guilty.