In the
2009 film I Love You, Phillip Morris,
Jim Carrey's character Steven does some creative accounting to steal
from his company and support his extravagant lifestyle. Though the
film is based on a true story, it is hard to believe that someone
like Steven could pull off a similar scheme in today's business
world, but Ligia Baciu of Orange County in California did just that.
Baciu
worked at Sweet Life Enterprises from 2005 to 2009 in the accounting
department overseeing the company's credit card accounts. During that
time, she took out numerous company credit cards for her own use. Up
until January 2010, Baciu spent over $236,000 on an engagement ring,
hotel suites, designer clothing, and a new Audi. She even used a
company card to pay for her domestic partner's fertility treatments.
The
surprising part of the story is how long it took Sweet Life
Enterprises to catch onto her credit card fraud after she left.
Accountants at the company only discovered what Baciu was doing when
they reviewed the company's credit card statements, and police just
arrested her this week. She was charged with 21 felony counts of
computer access and fraud and three felony counts of fraudulently
using access cards, but still, she allegedly committed fraud for 5
years without getting caught. It took two years after she got caught
for her to be arrested. Why has it taken this long?
Credit
card fraud can happen to anyone, so check your credit card statements
every month for suspicious charges. Also, make sure to keep your
balance under 30 percent of your card's limit to get the best credit
score possible. To get more tips for improving your credit health,
follow My Credit Specialist on Twitter and like My Credit Specialiston Facebook. If you are struggling with bad credit, go to
http://www.mycreditspecialist.com
to find out if credit restoration is the right choice for you.
