Chief’s Corner

By Chief Steven J. Wojnar

Dudley Police Department

            A recent discussion with a local business owner prompted this week’s article.  Many scams involving thefts of money occur quite frequently.  This business owner had several experiences where people wanted to wire large sums of money to people in far away locations.  Several people are out thousands of dollars as a result of these deceptive activities.  I was asked to warn people about the presence of these false check cases.
            With the presence of the Internet and other advanced technology, money scams and identity theft are widespread events.  People should always be on guard of their personal information.  It is the times, however; you receive some form of correspondence stating you have won a lottery or promising you a great deal of money, which you can generally control.  The most common form of this activity is done through the mail or via e-mail.  You may be sent a check or money order for several thousand dollars.  From there, you are requested to send money back.  You may be told you have been sent too much money or other funding is needed for legal fees or administrative costs.  The money is then to be sent to various places in the US as well as Europe, Canada, Africa, or other foreign lands.  Should you become involved in one of these schemes and actually send money, the original check will be voided, due to being false, and your check is cashed on the other end.  You will be out the money and are most likely held responsible for its repayment.
            These are dangerous operations and the criminals can move from point to point in order to avoid detection.  The old adage of “if something looks too good to be true, it probably isn't true,” certainly applies in these cases.  Unless you are purposely entered into a contest or are expecting money to be sent to you, you should avoid any of these transactions.  If people give you a check and want money in return, do not do this.  Ask the question, why would someone send me money, only to have me send them money back?  Also, be particularly cautious if the transaction involves foreign countries.  Some of the latest locations include Nigeria and Germany.  These are not legitimate and must be avoided.  You may not only be out the money, but these criminals may now possess bank account numbers which could be used to further access your accounts.  If you receive any of this information and have questions, contact the police, the postal inspector, or an agency such as the Better Business Bureau.  Most importantly, do not get involved in any of these activities unless you are completely sure that what you are doing is legitimate.  

            I wish to once again thank the Dudley Lions Club for inviting me to speak at their meeting held on September 18^th.  These meetings always informative for me and I hope I was able to answer the questions of those in attendance.  I thank all the club officers and the members for their hospitality.  Even though other business cut my time short, it was an enjoyable evening.

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