familiar fraud

plural familiar frauds

1. countableuncountableA type of fraud in which someone fraudulently opens accounts or makes purchases in someone else's name, in which the victim is a close friend or family member.

   Familiar fraud cases trace back to family members as offenders, as well as friends, neighbors, coworkers and in-home employees.

   2015 July 21, Kelli Grant, “Identity theft victims: You might know the culprit”, in CNBC, archived from the original on 05 Nov 2021

   2 more examples

   Addressing, much less prosecuting, familiar fraud is difficult because victims often don't want to hurt the fraudster but then wind up with the financial loss.

   2019 March 18, Tom Groenfeldt, “Credit Card Fraud Is Down, But Account Fraud That Directly Hurts Consumers Remains High”, in Forbes, archived from the original on 25 Sep 2022

   Familiar fraud can be particularly difficult to deal with as you might not want to press charges against a close friend or family member.

   2021 August 21, Ethen Kim Lieser, quoting myFICO, “This Is Why Crooks Want Your Child's Social Security Number”, in The National Interest, archived from the original on 17 Aug 2021