America’s Oldest World War II Veteran Robbed: A Victim of Identity Theft

It’s a sad state of affairs when American’s oldest living veteran of World War II, Richard Overton, has his personal bank account depleted through a case of identity theft. The 112-year-old Texas Hill Country resident has been the victim of fraud, according to his cousin. Volma Overton Jr. said to mystatesman.com,  “How could someone do this to Richard? He’s such a special person to Austin and to the country, and now someone is robbing him?”

Volma Overton learned that a thief managed to access his cousin’s Social Security number as well as his checking account number. Over the course of the past year, the thief had been purchasing savings bonds through Treasury Direct in a total of seven deductions. On Friday, June 29, the Austin Police Department stated that they were “working closely with the Overton family,” who have filed a report. None of the money that was being raised for Richard’s ability to remain at home with nursing care had been stolen. In 2016, his family started a GoFundMe account which would be used for round-the-clock home health care in his own home as opposed to moving into an elders’ facility. Donors from around the world have donated over $300K to that account which, thankfully, has remained untouched.

Photo: Facebook/DeJonique Garrison

Austinites helped Overton celebrate his 112th birthday back in May of this year with a community block party held on his home street in East Austin – Richard Overton Avenue. This year, he visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., thanks to Robert Smith, a billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist, who ensured Overton made the trip. Local artist Chris Rogers painted a portrait of Overton on a utility box in East Austin in front of a mural featuring Latino and African-American cultural icons, just this spring. He’s reached a modicum of celebrity status in the Texas Hill Country, not to mention the entire state. The National Adult Protective Services Association reported that five percent of older adults have reported financial abuse in one form or another. In the meantime, Volma Overton asked that people keep Richard in their prayers, and noted, “We’ll get through this.”