Last month Police Officer Molina, of the 40 Precinct, arrested a suspect for stealing identities and withdrawing money from unsuspecting victims’ bank accounts. A few weeks later, a local business owner called the 40 Precinct when he suspected fraudulent activity on his checking account. Officer Molina gladly answered this call in hopes to continue using his training to tackle fraud:
“Fake check scams are the most pervasive frauds in America. As a young man I was a victim of this type of scam. Although the bank gave me back my hard earned money, as an officer I am glad to be able to protect others.”
Officer Molina suggested the account owner gather all pertinent information from his financial advisor and promised to accompany the victim to the bank the following day. By conducting interviews with the victim, his financial advisor, and the bank; Officer Molina was able to detect 90 fraudulent checks written to non-existent employees. They then tracked down the location where the checks were cashed and discovered that an employee also cashed his checks there.
Further investigation revealed that a longtime employee had written checks between $60,000 and $80,000 in the business owner’s name. The suspect was charged with grand larceny, possession of forged instrument felony, and possession of stolen property.
