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Broadcast time: 8:05 am |
Date: October 16, 2019 |
Recently, the Sarnia Police Service has been investigating a number of frauds regarding cheques being cashed for other individuals and then the victim having lost the funds out of their own savings.
In this crime innocent people ranging in age and vulnerability are randomly approached by either a male or female (the two are working together) and fed a story of how a relative is dying of cancer in another city or that a family member has been in a serious car accident. The scammers then tell the victim that they do not have a bank account but need to cash their cheque to be able to travel to see their ill relative. The criminals even offer them money for their troubles.
The cheques that are used are stolen and usually made out in someone else’s name. Once the victim cashes the cheque and withdraws the money to pay the criminal it is too late. The victim is now on the hook for the money and usually ends up with an overdrawn account balance.
We are asking the public not to cash cheques for individuals that you do not know or have not confirmed the identity of the person to the name on the cheque. It is actually best practice not to cash cheques belonging to others at all.
Constable Giovanni Sottosanti
Media Officer
Tel: 519-344-8861 Ext 6168
Email: 168@police.sarnia.on.ca