Couple Indicted in Identity Theft Phone Scam

March 18, 2022 – A couple accused of running a large-scale identity theft scheme to steal personal information and thousands of dollars in cash from unsuspecting victims has been indicted on criminal charges, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Brandon Danley, 31, and Taryn Watson, 27, were indicted on one count of theft of property over $250,000 and 85 counts of identity theft. They are free on $75,000 bond each.

According to investigators with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, between September 2020 and March of 2021 the two worked from a Bartlett-area residence where they phoned AT&T call centers and impersonated AT&T employees.

They acquired account information from numerous customers and hacked into their cellphones, allowing the defendants to gain access to bank accounts and cash apps. The couple then would transfer funds to their own accounts, victimizing numerous people before getting caught.

The case is being handled by Chief Prosecutor Byron Winsett of the District Attorney’s Public Corruption and Economic Crimes Unit.