Things to Do in L.A. A shadowy L.A. crime ring is hijacking the IDs of foreign scholars, fraud expert says This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . An identity theft ring believed to be based in the Burbank area is stealing Social Security Numbers of former foreign scholars. Private fraud investigators suspect the operation is connected to Armenian organized crime groups known for sophisticated financial crimes. Using apartments in the San Fernando Valley and Glendale area, a shadowy group of identity thieves has been quietly exploiting a new kind of victim -- foreign scholars who left the U.S. years ago but whose Social Security numbers still linger in American databases, according to a cybercrime expert.