Christopher Burcham
George AddyCOLUMBUS, Ohio -
A 22-year-old man was indicted Thursday on charges that he used a dead man's credit card.
According to the Franklin County prosecutor, a grand jury indicted Christopher Burcham, 22, for one count each of misuse of a credit card, theft, and identity fraud.
In February 2012, George Addy passed away. Officials said Burcham is the friend of Addy's daughter.
It is alleged that in early December 2012, Burcham stole a credit card from Addy's wallet and proceeded to charge approximately $40,000 to the account over a month.
"$2,000 of $40,000 was [buying] weapons of different kinds and other consumer items, large and small," said Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien.
Burcham allegedly made the charges by running the credit card through a card reader attached to his cell phone.
If found guilty, Burcham faces a potential four years in jail.
Experts offered the following tips on how to protect your money and personal information:
- Check Statements Regularly (Look For Unauthorized Or Unusual Transactions)
- Don't Send Money Over The Internet – Verify Legitimate And Secure Websites
- Never Offer Financial Information In Response To A Phone Call Or Email
- Never Hand Out Personal Or Financial Information Before Researching The Company AND The Person
- Don't Invest Money With Anyone Who Is Not A Registered Financial Agent
