11/04/09 - Madison County

Jackson Sees Spike in Counterfeit Checks
By: Stephanie Ryan
sryan@wbbjtv.com
5:23 p.m.
 
Jackson has seen a recent spike in counterfeit checks sent after dealings with scammers on Craigslist, according to Lt. Randy Lampley, with the Financial Crimes Unit of the Jackson Police Department.
 
Lampley said he has collected five counterfeit checks from Craigslist users in the past few weeks.
 
Evelyn Gilbert was the recipient of one of those checks.  She opened her mailbox two weeks ago and found a check for $2,600.
 
"I thought, 'That's not right!' " Gilbert said.
 
Gilbert placed an ad for childcare services on the website in August when she opened Step-By-Step Childcare, thinking local residents would respond.
 
Instead, she received an e-mail from a man who said he lived in Switzerland and was coming to Jackson for business and would need childcare for his two children for five weeks.
 
After Gilbert got the check for $1,400 more than it would cost for the childcare, she asked the man why he sent so much money, "He sent me an e-mail saying I needed to go to the bank and deposit the check, and I needed to purchase some items his kids would need at school," Gilbert said.
 
But Gilbert didn't fall prey to the scam, and took the check to a bank, who verified that it was not real.
 
Unfortunately, not everyone is as savvy, Lt. Lampley said.  "A lot of folks think, 'Oh, it's just a check with my name on it.  It's legit.' No one just gives you money.  There is no check fairy."
 
Lampley said the checks are difficult to track, because scammers may request a money order be sent via Western Union, but if they have a tracking number, they can pick the check up anywhere.
 
Because scammers are so difficult to catch, Lampley said the Secret Service is helping catch the criminals.
 
Until those criminals are caught, Gilbert said she will make sure the next time someone shows interest in her daycare, she will get the money up front.
 
"There are so many people out there that are just thieves.  Being in a business like this, it's just so hard to make ends meet without someone trying to take money that you're trying so hard to work for," Gilbert said.
 
If you have a check that you believe may be counterfeit, the Jackson Police Department will verify it free of charge.