Update: And there is this from the Janesville, WI Gazette:More victims are emerging after Dubuque police sent out a warning about a Social Security scam.
Joseph Murphy is now in the Dubuque County Jail. Police say he pretended to be a Social Security benefits advocate, convincing several people to give him cash, which he kept for himself. ...
Police say Murphy set up a fake business called American Disability Entitlements.
He’d promise to help people who needed Social Security benefits start their paperwork. ...
The victims tell police Murphy demanded cash or credit card numbers up front. ...
Baxter says Murphy could also have victims in Wisconsin and Illinois. If you think you may be a victim, contact Dubuque police.
Did this fellow ever qualify as a non-attorney representative?An Edgerton native with a local history of fraud and harassment now is accused of bilking more than $30,000 from two Sheboygan residents, one of whom is mentally disabled. ...Murphy has been in and out of prison on theft and probation violation cases and often has sought out media attention.
In 1997, for example, he made national news after he complained to the media that the Social Security Administration branch in Janesville did not protect him from himself when it gave him almost $50,000 in back benefits. Murphy claimed he had a gambling problem and that he gambled away the money. ...
In the recent Sheboygan County case, a 47-year-old Sheboygan man told police he contacted Murphy so the man could get disability payments. Murphy listed himself in the yellow pages under American Disability Entitlements.
According to the complaint, Murphy over several weeks pressured the man to give him about $30,000. ...
In January 2009, Murphy aired a commercial in the Janesville area advertising the same company and seeking clients. ...
“Twenty-five years ago I was disabled and unable to work,” Murphy said in the commercial. “I was frustrated with the red legal tape, so I researched the Social Security laws and what I was entitled to. And I was just one case.
“Did you know there are up to 75,000 new disability claims in Wisconsin per year? If you are unable to work due to a physical or mental condition and are having trouble collecting Social Security disability benefits, please give me a call. I’m the little guy who will fight for what you are entitled to.”
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