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Click Here 42 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, January 31, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend December 19, 2003 Police beef up tech-crime unit White-collar property crimes are on the rise in the Medford area By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune Police know that for virtually every technological advance in the world of commerce, thieves have an additional tool to steal. Spam e-mails masquerading as legitimate organizations request Web surfers’ account numbers and personal information. Small business check-writing programs make creating fake ones so easy that police are now arresting teenage counterfeiters. And high-tech wireless devices in the wrong hands can skim illicit information from debit and credit cards. Responding to a wave of local and global fraud schemes, Medford police have formed an alliance to stem the rising tide. The newly organized Fraud Investigation Section of the Medford Police Department links the specialized knowledge of police investigators with financially savvy bankers and business people. Advertisement "If one (suspect) hits one business, it affects everyone down the line," said Medford police Sgt. Randy Sparacino. Embezzlement, identity theft and other forms of fraud have become increasingly common in recent years, local police, bank and business officials said. Counterfeiting and forgery cases reported to Medford police more than doubled during the first half of this year compared to last year. Cases involving check forgeries and "bad checks" increased by more than 20 percent in the same period. "The crimes have increased — I cannot believe it — in just the past year," said Monica Weber, district operations manager for Key Bank and director of the Southern Oregon Fraud and Security Team. Medford police Detective Sue Campbell formerly was the police department’s only specialist in fraud. But cases — ranging from embezzlement to bad checks to forgery to identity theft — kept piling up. The fraud section now teams Campbell’s talents with another detective, two officers and support staff. "We’ll wonder how we ever lived without it," said Medford police Lt. Mike Moran. The fledging team already shoulders the police department’s second-largest caseload — 1,048 cases through November this year — behind drug investigations, which numbered 1,100, according to police department statistics. But all good cops know those two seemingly distinct types of crime go hand in hand. Some of the county’s trickiest thieves are fueling a drug habit with the personal information of unsuspecting victims, police say. Bank statements sent through the mail are easily stolen and account numbers transferred to computerized counterfeit checks, which are cashed at many local businesses, police say. "It’s a lot easier than breaking into cars or breaking into a house," Sparacino said. In addition to focusing their efforts on catching the thieves, Medford police will work to keep the public abreast of the latest fraud schemes, many of which target the elderly, Sparacino said. Investigators eventually will specialize in particular financial crimes, such as defrauding the elderly, embezzlements and numerous other nuances in an ever-growing threat, Sparacino said. "There’s so many layers of different deceit and crime." Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] Counterfeit 100s passed Amid the bustle of holiday shopping, seven counterfeit 100-dollar bills were accepted Wednesday at local chain stores, Medford police said. Two others showed up at a local bank branch. The bills are of such high quality that they went unnoticed by cashiers. Businesses passed them on to a currency collection point, which sniffed out the fakes, investigators said. Investigators do not know the bills’ origin, but said it’s likely they were fabricated elsewhere. The counterfeiters may have unloaded their funny money while passing through the area. Cashiers should take a few extra moments when handling bills, noting security features and ensuring the ink is ridged, police said. Recent fakes had all the right stuff except the paper was smooth to the touch. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times