Southside police warn of recent check counterfeiting incidents
Alert personnel at Metro Bank notified Southside police of a suspected crime Thursday afternoon, according to Chief Blake Ragsdale: someone trying to pass a counterfeit check.
Police responded and detained the person, a Prattville resident, and after a quick investigation determined the check was forged. The person was charged with one count of possession of a forged instrument.
However, Southside police Capt. Jay Freeman said attempts to cash counterfeit checks have not been a one-time thing. There have been several such incidents in recent weeks.
"Our investigation has shown that part of this scheme is stealing legitimate checks from mailboxes and forging them," he said. "Afterward, they use the business name and solicit homeless individuals to cash fraudulent checks.
"The people cashing the checks would receive a cut of the stolen money," Freeman said. But in doing so, they put themselves at risk of arrest — going into the bank with their ID.
"Meanwhile, the person who is actually printing the checks and is running the scam usually stays in the background and tries to avoid any interaction with the bank," the chief said.
Freeman said investigators are working with federal, state and local authorities to identify those running the operation that, according to the chief, has cost hard-working victims thousands of dollars.
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Scam involves mailbox thefts, forged checks, cashed for cut of money
