Sep 19, 2024
A 37-year-old woman from Philadelphia has been charged with stealing almost $100,000 in Social Security disability benefits intended for a woman who was found dead in a local rowhome basement.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced on September 13 that Holly Sadowski has been arrested and charged by indictment with Social Security fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
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She stands accused of concealing the death of a woman, referred to by the Department of Justice as E.W., to steal her disability benefits totaling approximately $99,447.90.
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Here are all the details officials have released so far, plus information on how to prevent Social Security fraud and protect yourself from identity theft.
Social Security fraud
Per the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, E.W.’s body was discovered buried beneath six to eight feet of concrete in the basement of a Philadelphia home where she had lived. The victim’s full name was withheld by the attorney’s office.
The last time she was seen alive was on or about December 12, 2012, when she attended an appointment with a service provider that she’d visited regularly since 2004, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
E.W., who received disability insurance benefits due to an intellectual disorder, “did not appear” at her next appointment — allegedly scheduled for Jan. 2013 — and never contacted the health care provider again.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that E.W.’s remains were unearthed in Dec. 2022, a decade after she was last seen. The Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office and a forensic anthropologist examined E.W.’s remains and concluded the cause of death was blunt trauma to the head and neck and the manner of death was homicide.
The indictment against Sadowski accuses the 37-year-old of illegally accessing E.W.’s bank account — using her name, date of birth and Social Security number — to steal almost $100,000 in Social Security benefits for her own personal use.
If convicted, Sadowski faces a maximum possible sentence of 107 years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, a $1,750,000 fine, and a $700 special assessment.
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Protect yourself from identity theft
As a formerly vulnerable and now deceased individual, E.W. may have been an easy target for identity theft and Social Security fraud. Everyone is susceptible to fraud, no matter how proactive you are at keeping your personal information safe.
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Identity theft occurs “when someone uses your personal or financial information without your permission,” per the Federal Trade Commission.
Typically, a fraudster would steal your name, address, credit card or bank account numbers, medical insurance account numbers, or like the E.W. case, your Social Security number and use them to:
- Buy things with your credit cards;
- Get new credit cards in your name;
- Open accounts in your name;
- Steal your Social Security benefits;
- Steal your tax return; and
- Get medical care.
There are things you can do to protect yourself and stay ahead of identity thieves. For instance, you should keep any financial records, Social Security and Medicare cards, as well as any other documents that have personal information in a safe place, like a locked drawer or safe. When you dispose of those documents, shred them or use a marker to block out any sensitive information.
To protect yourself online, you should always use a strong password with a mixture of letters, numbers and special characters — and change that password regularly. You can also make use of multi-factor authentication, which requires two or more credentials (prompting you to enter a passcode sent via email or text message or to scan your fingerprint or retina) to log into your account.
These strategies may stall fraudsters, but won’t necessarily stop them. It’s important to remember never to share your personal information with someone you don’t know or trust, even if they present you with an urgent problem or demand that needs your attention. Anyone could be a scammer trying to steal your identity.
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Bethan Moorcraft is a reporter for Moneywise with experience in news editing and business reporting across international markets.
