Residents receive bogus checks from fake foundation
By:Audrey Levine
Hillsborough Township police are warning residents about several reports of attempted fraud over the Internet, in which victims received packages with checks in the mail, and e-mails requesting that they keep a designated amount of the money and send the rest to people overseas.
According to Lt. Bill Geary, a Hillsborough resident received a UPS package containing six VISA travelers checks, for $500 each, from the British Heart Foundation. He said she then received an accompanying e-mail that requested that she keep 10 percent of all the money and forward the balance to different people in Nigeria.
"There had been no previous contact (between her and the foundation)," Lt. Geary said.
In a related incident, he said, another resident began corresponding with a man in Great Britain who was interested in purchasing a table that he had offered on craigslist.com, a classified ad site. Lt. Geary said the table was being offered for $500.
The man contacted the police when the Great Britain resident sent a certified bank check for $2,999, asking that the balance, after the $500, be sent to another person in England.
"The check is now in evidence," Lt. Geary said.
Lt. Geary said one of the best ways to prevent this situation is to avoid giving out personal information over the Internet, especially if a site is not secure or if a person is specifically asking for information.
"Be extra cautious when doing transactions," he said.
According to Lt. Geary, there are people trained in determining if checks are legitimate, so anything that seems suspicious should be turned over to the police.
"There are probably dozens of people who haven’t given these materials to the police," he said. "If anyone gives an exorbitant amount of money from another country, or if you receive anything in the mail deemed fraudulent, call the police."
For more information, or to report an incident, call the local Police Department.