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Be Careful When You Write A Check
Posted on Mar 27, 2007 by Michelle Pastor
I counseled a fraud victim recently that wrote a check to a stranger that came to the door selling Mary Kay. My client bought a small item from the woman and wrote a $5 check. It turned out that the Mary Kay rep gave the check an acid wash and rewrote it for $2,000. Luckily the bank teller caught it, called the victim and asked her to come in to press charges with the police.
The police told my client that the Mary Kay woman was a methamphetamine user and needed money to support her habit. According to my discussions with police officers and a district attorney, they usually see low tech cases of identity theft (stolen or washed checks, or stolen purses and wallets) performed by someone the victim knows. They also say there is big correlation between methamphetamine users and acid-washed checks.
What is surprising is that my client swears that she thought the woman was completely trustworthy. In fact, she invited the woman in for a cup of coffee before she wrote the check and asked her to come back the next month so she could place another order!
Filed under: Fraud, Identity Theft, Scams
Tags: acid wash, check Fraud, methamphetamine
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