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Former NCSU Students, Faculty Targets of Identity Theft

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Essam Helmi Elshami of Elm City is charged with three counts of financial identity fraud after he was arrested at a post office where he received eight credit cards under other people's names.(WRAL-TV5 News)
RALEIGH — Raleigh Police say a Wilson County man has been making money off other people's names and is suspected of defrauding 41 victims in North Carolina, Texas and the Midwest.

Essam Helmi Elshami, 41, of Elm City is charged with three counts of financial identity fraud after he was arrested at the Oberlin Road Post Office Saturday.

Police say Elshami came to pick up credit cards under the names of other people.

They believe Elshami used fake Social Security numbers and immigration cards to open bank accounts and lines of credit.

All of the victims have been either employees or students atNorth Carolina State University. One of the victims is a Raleigh police captain.

Investigators say it may take two weeks to contact the victims since most of them live out of state.

Elshami, a self-employed mechanic, is being held in the Wake County Jail under $1 million bond. He is also wanted by two police agencies in New Jersey.

Raleigh Police would not confirm the details of the arrest. From staff and wire reports

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