Menifee woman charged with stealing over $500,000 in COVID-19 unemployment benefits through the dark web

A Menifee woman was charged today with identity theft and two counts of fraud by federal officials who say she used stolen information from the internet to receive more than half a million dollars in COVID-19 unemployment benefits.

Cara Marie Kirk-Connell, 32, was named in a federal complaint that alleges she used identity stolen on the “dark web” to steal others’ identities. She then allegedly used the information to apply for unemployment benefits made available as COVID-19 assistance under the CARES Act, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Los Angeles office.

Kirk-Connell was arrested Sept. 11 by Murrieta Police during a traffic stop. Officers searching the car found eight debit cards that contained unemployment benefits in other people’s names, plus $30,000 in cash and several driver’s licenses for other motorists, the federal complaint states. Kirk-Connell allegedly told police she and others would gather that information on the dark web.

Facing charges of identity theft, mail fraud, and access device fraud, Kirk-Connell is scheduled to appear Oct. 13 in U.S. District Court in Riverside.

Kirk-Connell stated that after she applied for benefits in other people’s names, she would have the debit cards sent to an address where she would receive them. She would activate the cards by using the victims’ Social Security numbers and PIN numbers, then make ATM withdrawals, the affidavit states.

According to EDD records, Kirk-Connell had applied for and authorized approximately $534,149 in benefits. She has spent nearly $270,000 of that amount, according to the affidavit. Records also showed that some of the debit cards had more than $17,000 loaded on them when issued.