Ben Stiller, Other Celebs, Allegedly Targeted In Credit Card Scam

It makes sense that David Duchovny, director Paul Haggis, Ben Stiller and a few other of Hollywood’s big names would all lose their credit cards and need replacements mailed to the same address in Chicago. Or at least, it made enough sense for Citibank to send out a few new cards out before they and the police got a wee bit suspicious.

The above big-hitters in entertainment, plus writer-directors Paul Schrader of Taxi Driver fame and The Squid and the Whale‘s Noah Baumbach, were all alleged victims of Nigerian native Adedamola Olatunji, who officials say used their personal information to obtain credit cards in their name.

Before the authorities caught on, Olatunji allegedly racked up bills for iTunes and an on-line dating service on Stiller’s card, and has been indicted on forgery, mail fraud, theft, aggravated identity theft, computer fraud and other felony charges, reports the Chicago Breaking News Center site.

Sources familiar with the investigation say Citibank contact the postal inspector’s office last month to intercept replacement cards being sent under the names of Schrader and Baumbach, after Stiller, Duchovny and Haggis cards had also gone to the same address on the city’s South Side.

So Olatunji apparently just called up and was like, oh, hey, I’m Ben Stiller! And it worked, at least for a little while. Good to know.

Hollywood elite targeted in local credit card scam [Chicago Breaking News Center]

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