Lubbock man charged after series of fraudulent phone calls, court records said

LUBBOCK, Texas — Justin Smith, 27, was arrested on Wednesday, November 7 and was charged in connection to several scams taking place in 2023. Court records obtained by EverythingLubbock.com on Tuesday outlined incidents that took place.

Throughout July 2023, Smith left several fraudulent phone calls to an individual to scam them out of money. Court records said Smith called the victim, claiming to be an employee with Dakota Arms Apartments. Smith asked the victim for their debit card and banking information. Smith then made several purchases without consent, using the victim's debit card information, according to court records. Smith also used the victim's information to apply for credit cards without their consent.

Another time, Smith called the victim claiming to be from their apartment complex and said he needed the victim's debit card information and the victim would get a month of free rent in return. In a third instance, Smith called the victim, claiming to be from Alliance Federal Credit Union, and needed the victim's information because of fraudulent charges on their account, according to court records.

In a police report filed in August of 2023, an individual agreed to co-sign for Smith to get an apartment. The apartment's management later informed the victim that Smith had used the victim's identifying information under their name, which they did not give Smith consent to do. The victim also learned Smith gained access to their checking account and stole $1,000 from the account, according to court records.

Smith was charged with four counts of Fraudulent Use/Possession of Identifying Information, Theft and Credit Card Abuse. As of Tuesday, Smith remained at the Lubbock County Detention Center on bonds totaling $75,500.