Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Impaired Driving

45-year-old Jonathan Reginald Davies of 72 Harcourt Avenue has been charged with 1 count of Impaired Driving and Consume Over the Legal Limit. It’s alleged that on the 26th of September at approximately 9:30pm the accused was observed driving a 2002 Ford Windstar south on Great Northern Road. The vehicle was witnessed by a citizen traveling over the centerline numerous times. City Police responded observed the vehicle pull over to the side of the road on Third Line East. The driver was approached and found to be in an intoxicated state. Jonathan Davies was arrested and transported to the station. The accused is scheduled to appear in court on October 30th.

Break & Enters

City Police investigated 2 Break and Enters yesterday.

1. A home in the 100 block of Breton road was broken into between the hours of 12:30 and 3:30 in the afternoon. In this incident the back door was forced open. It appears as though nothing was taken.

2. Superior Home Bakery at 438 Great Northern Road was broken into after culprits forced their way through the side door between the hours of 7:30 pm on the 25th of September and 1:30 am on the 26th of September. Meat and cheeses were taken.

Beware of Cheque Scams

The Sault Ste. Marie Police Service would like to remind the public to beware of cheque scams and remember that if anything sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

If you have won a prize a legitimate organization will not request that you send funds to claim your prize.

Officers from the Fraud Unit have put together some information on how you can avoid becoming a victim. Please take the time to read them.

TIPS FOR RECOGNIZING & AVOIDING CHEQUE SCAMS

CHEQUES COULD BE COUNTERFEIT, STOLEN AND OR ALTERED!

If someone you don’t know wants to pay you by cheque but wants you to wire some of the money back, beware! It’s a scam that could cost you thousands of dollars.

• There are many variations of the fake cheque scam.

It could start with someone offering to buy something you advertised, pay you to do work at home, give you an “advance” on a sweepstakes you’ve supposedly won, or pay the first instalment on the millions that you’ll receive for agreeing to have money in a foreign country transferred to your bank account for safekeeping. Whatever the pitch, the person may sound quite believable.

• Fake cheque scammers hunt for victims.

They scan newspaper and online advertisements for people listing items for sale, and check postings on online classified ads, and job sites from people seeking employment. They place their own ads with phone numbers or email addresses for people to contact them. And they call or send emails or faxes to people randomly, knowing that some will take the bait. They meet in chat rooms and dating sites.


• They often claim to be in another country.
The scammers say it’s too difficult and complicated to send you the money directly from their country, so they’ll arrange for someone in the U.S. or Canada to send you a cheque or money order.

• They tell you to wire some of the money after you’ve deposited the cheque.

If you’re selling something, they say they’ll pay you by having someone in the U.S. or Canada who owes them money send you a cheque, money order, cashier’s cheque or bank draft. It will be for more than the sale price; you deposit the cheque or money order, keep what you’re owed, and wire the rest to them.

Or you’re instructed to wire money to someone else who will arrange for shipping. If it’s part of a work-at-home scheme, they may claim that you’ll be processing payments from their “clients.” You deposit the cheques or money orders and then wire them the money minus your “pay.” Or they may send you an overpayment “by mistake” and ask you to wire them the excess. In the sweepstakes and foreign money offer variations of the scam, they tell you to wire them money for taxes, customs, bonding, processing, legal fees, or other expenses that must be paid before you can get the rest of the money.

• They may falsely promise to transfer money directly to your bank account.

You provide your account information so they can make an electronic fund transfer. Instead, they send your bank a cheque or money order with instructions to deposit it in your account. When you check your balance, it looks like the money has arrived. You may not notice that it was a cheque or money order, not an electronic fund transfer.

• The cheques or negotiable documents are fake but they look real.

In fact, they look so real that even bank tellers may be fooled. Some are counterfeit money orders, some are phoney cashiers checks, and others look like they’re from legitimate business accounts. The companies whose names appear may be real, but someone has altered the documents without their knowledge.

• You don’t have to wait long to use the money, but that doesn’t mean the cheque or negotiable document is good.
By law, banks have to make the funds you deposit available quickly – usually within five days; depending on the type of cheque or money order and the bank it is drawn on (foreign banks take longer). But just because you can withdraw the funds doesn’t mean the cheque or money order is good, even if it looks like a cashier’s cheque, a money order from the post office or bank draft. It can take weeks for the forgery to be discovered.

• You are responsible for the cheques and money orders you deposit.

That’s because you’re in the best position to determine the risk – you’re the one dealing directly with the person who is arranging for the payment to be sent to you. When a cheque bounces, the bank deducts the amount that was originally credited to your account. If there isn’t enough to cover it, the bank may be able to take money from other accounts you have at that institution, or sue you to recover the funds. In some cases, law enforcement authorities could bring charges against the victims because it may look like they were involved in the scam and knew the cheque or money order was counterfeit.

• There is no legitimate reason for someone who is giving you money to ask you to wire money back.

If a stranger wants to pay you for something, insist on a cashier’s cheque or certified cheque for the exact amount, preferably from a local bank or a bank that has a branch in your area.

• Don’t deposit it – report it!

Contact your local Police Service if you believe a cheque you have received is fake or altered. Ask your bank to place a lengthy hold on the funds and verify the issuer. Take steps to investigate and report your suspicions. Beware that scammers will ask you to repeat lies to the bank or police.

Report fake cheque scams to your local Police Service and contact www.phonebusters.com or call 1-(888) 495-8501.