Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Kim Kardashian, and Tiger Woods all have something in common. Yes, there are undoubtedly some of the biggest and richest pop icons of our time, but they are also victims of identity theft.
Rapper turned actor, Will Smith, unfortunately, joined this list of wealthy A-list celebrities. The Fresh Prince became a victim of credit card fraud when a career criminal stole his identity and racked up more than $30,000 in fraudulent charges.
Smith started in the entertainment industry as a Grammy award-winning rapper from Philadelphia. He became a household name when he parlayed his music career into the iconic television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
He went on to star in blockbuster movies such as Independence Day, Men in Black, and Ali. The Hollywood sensation has been nominated for 200 music, film, and television awards and is known the world over for his contagious grin and upbeat demeanor. In 2002, Carlos Lomax assumed the identity of the Bad Boys actor and fraudulently rang up credit card charges in Smith’s name.
According to Federal prosecutors, Lomax somehow got a hold of Smith’s Social Security number and a copy of his credit report. With this personal information, Lomax was able to open credit accounts under the name of Willard C. Smith, which is the actor’s given name.
The thief used Smith’s identity to obtain a Sprint cell phone account, American Express credit card, and bank account. He also opened several department and specialty store accounts in Pittsburgh that included Sears, Kaufmann’s, and Kohl’s. He even obtained a Blockbuster Video card in Smith’s name, according to Pittsburgh City Paper… Showbiz Cheat Sheet