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39 °F 5 Day Forecast Friday, December 19, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | 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 October 23, 2003 Bogus $100 travelers checks reappear at local businesses Medford police have seen another rash of fake travelers checks. In the past week, one suspect has used fraudulent $100 Thomas Cook travelers checks at five Biddle Road businesses, Lt. Mike Moran said. The man was described as being a black male about 40- 45 years old, police said. People buying things with forged travelers checks move through the Rogue Valley on Interstate 5 on a fairly regular basis, Moran said. They typically buy inexpensive items with $100 travelers checks to get plenty of cash back. Sometimes they even return the merchandise for additional cash later. "It’s sad that legitimate businesses are impacted this way," Moran said. The stores targeted in the most recently reported fraud include Big Lots, Factory 2-U, Toys ‘R’ Us, Payless ShoeSource and Barnes & Noble. Advertisement Police, bankers, store security and social-service agency representatives learned about check fraud and other types of "white-collar" crime at a seminar in Medford last week, Moran said. Southern Oregon Fraud and Security Team, a group of law enforcement and banking and finance officials also known as SOFAST, sponsored the seminar, which attracted 125 people from throughout Oregon and Northern California, Moran said. Speakers from credit companies, Internet auction site eBay and police departments talked about e-mail and Internet scams, financial abuse of elders, and check or credit card fraud. Moran passed along some tips from the seminar for businesses to avoid being stung by fake travelers checks. He advises them to get samples from companies that sell such checks so they can compare checks they take with the real thing. Many credit companies, such as Visa, will help businesses train employees to spot fraud, he said. He also reminds businesses to check customers’ identification when taking checks or credit cards. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times