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Eight people from Salt Lake County have been charged in 56-count indictment with allegedly using false identities to dupe businesses out of more than $150,000.

An indictment issued by a federal grand jury earlier this month said the defendants possessed personal information — including names, Social Security numbers and birthdays ­­— for 143,000 people, which they used on more than 30 occasions to fraudulently apply for credit cards and make purchases.

The victims primarily lived in Utah, the indictment said. The defendants possessed fake drivers licenses, Social Security cards and other identification documents that included victims' information, according to the indictment.

Despite the large number of people whose information was exposed — the names represent about one in 20 Utahns — "only a small number of people had their identity used for a fraudulent purpose," the Department of Justice said in a news release. Those people have been notified, the release said.

It is unclear how the victims' information was accessed, the release said, but the database's format suggests it "may have come from a medical insurance provider or a business who provided services to a medical insurance provider more than five years ago."

From August 2014 to December 2015, the defendants allegedly used the information to open fraudulent accounts in at least four banks and a variety of stores, including phone companies, department stores, furniture stores and jewelry stores.

The charges contain counts of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, possession with intent to use or transfer five or more documents, use of an unauthorized device, aggravated identity theft and unlawful manufacture of a controlled substance (marijuana). The alleged leader of the group faces 31 counts.

Five defendants were arrested and pleaded not guilty to charges during an initial appearance Feb. 3, court documents show. A judge found that while three of the five — including the leader — are at risk of failing to appear in court for later hearings and are a danger to the community, those risks are manageable. They have been released with conditions, while the other two remain in custody of U.S. Marshals.

The other three defendants are scheduled for an initial appearance Feb. 28.

Anyone concerned that their information may have been compromised in the alleged scam is asked to call the Department of Justice's Mega-Victim Case Assistance Program at 1-844-527-5299. Anyone whose information was used for a fraudulent purpose in this case should have already received a personal letter from a victim notification system, the release said.

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