Oldest U.S. Veteran In East Austin Victim Of Identity Theft

EAST AUSTIN, TX — Richard Overton — the oldest living U.S. military veteran and oldest living man in America who lives in East Austin — was recently victimized by identify theft, according to reports.

An unknown thief set up a fake bank account with the 112-year-old World War II veteran's Social Security number an accessed his checking account, according to the Dallas Morning News. The veteran's third cousin, Volna Overton, told media outlets the identity thief has been using the checking account for months to buy savings bonds.

Bank of America has since covered the loss, according to subsequent reports.

While the amount of money stolen wasn't disclosed, the cousin categorized it as "a significant amount."
However, the checking account is separate from a GoFundMe account that has been financing his in-home care since December 2016, according to family members. The crowd sourcing page has raised nearly $340,000.

Overton has been verified as the oldest living man in America and the oldest U.S. veteran by the Gerontology Research Group. He served in the South Pacific theater during World War II before moving to East Austin in 1945.

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