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A HACKER who impersonated a doctor and then faked his own death is finally behind bars.
The man was sentenced to nearly seven years in jail by a US District Judge after being found guilty of computer fraud and aggravated identity theft.
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According to a statement from the Eastern District Court of Kentucky, Jesse Kipf hacked into the Hawaii Death Registry System and created a false death certificate to avoid paying the $116,000 worth of child support he owed.
The United States Attorney’s Office said that to access the registry, Kipf, 39, used the username and password of another physician who resided out of state to create the false document,
Once inside the system, Kipf created a “case” for his own death and filled out the accompanying State of Hawaii Death Certificate Worksheet.
When that was completed, Kipf signed off on the bogus certificate rendering him officially dead in many government databases.
In addition to faking his death, Kipf used the login credentials to access “private business networks, and governmental and corporate networks.”
The USAO claims that the man “tried to sell access to these networks to potential buyers on the dark net.”
Kipf’s ruse ended in March 2023 when Hawaii’s Department of Health was notified of a breach by the cybersecurity firm Mandiant, per The Record.
According to Mandiant, they had been tipped off that the credentials of a medical death certifier account had been sold on the dark net.
Mandiant stated that while the credentials were genuine, the person they belonged to had left the job in 2021.
“Working in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, this defendant who hacked a variety of computer systems and maliciously stole the identity of others for his own personal gain, will now pay the price,” said Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge at the FBI’s Louisville Field Office.
“This scheme was a cynical and destructive effort, based in part on the inexcusable goal of avoiding his child support obligations,” Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky commented in a press release.
“This case is a stark reminder of how damaging criminals with computers can be, and how critically important computer and online security is to us all.”
“Fortunately, through the excellent work of our law enforcement partners, this case will serve as a warning to other cyber criminals, and he will face the consequences of his disgraceful conduct,” they said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn M. Dieruf later revealed in addition to selling at least one company’s hacked databases to Russian buyers, Kipf was also reportedly offering lessons on how to access death registry systems.
WHAT IS IDENTITY THEFT?
Identity theft is one of the more serious forms of fraud.
Identity theft is when someone fraudulently takes your personal or financial information and uses it to make unauthorized transactions.
Those affected by the theft usually will find that damage has been done to their credit, finances, and even their reputation.
One of the easiest ways someone can commit fraud is by obtaining your social security number, bank account number or credit card information.
Court documents state that Kipf had also sold the stolen data to buyers in Algeria and Ukraine.
The Record stated that during the sentencing, Dieruf asked the judge to use Kipf as a warning to others who may attempt something like this.
“Similarly situated individuals must see the real danger they present to victims and be deterred from engaging in online criminal conduct by the fear of punishment,” she wrote.
“The cloak of anonymity afforded by the dark web is too alluring without the persistent threat of being brought to justice and serving a significant sentence.”
According to federal law, Kipf “must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.”
According to the court, the total amount of damages caused by Kipf plus the amount he owes in child support comes to a total of $195,758,65.
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