A New Jersey woman has been charged with faking an identity theft claim in a bid to get out from under a nearly ,000 online gambling debt.
Diana Zolla, 31, of Jackson Township, was charged with theft by deception, New Jersey State police said.
Police investigated Zolla’s initial complaint starting in January. Online gambling began in the state in November.
Zolla alleged that someone had used her maiden name to create an online gaming account, maintained that her identity had been stolen and that she was not responsible for $9,565 in gambling losses and banking fees charged to the account.
Police reviewed banking, online gaming and internet search provider records and determined that Zolla had indeed created the account, police said.
Zolla was arraigned in Atlantic County Superior Court.
“People who gamble online may be tempted to fabricate an identity theft complaint in order to avoid paying their debt,” Col. Rick Fuentes, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, said in a press release. “This criminal activity can only make a bad situation worse.”
Division of Gaming Enforcement director David Rebuck said in a press release that the agency will continue to work with police to find cases of fraud to instill confidence in the state’s online gambling industry.
“Suspicious transactions are thoroughly investigated, and as this case shows, attempts to defraud New Jersey casinos will not be tolerated,” Rebuck said.
