Traverse City Record-Eagle

Archive: Saturday

CLEARING THE RECORD

Because of a reporter's error, this story should have originally said that Amber Diane McAllister used, but did not make, a counterfeit check.

February 25, 2012

Police say check fraud can be prevented

Authorities urge all merchants to contact the banks

BY ART BUKOWSKI abukowski@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — Authorities encourage merchants to protect themselves from fraud after two locals face felony charges tied to bad checks.

Amber Diane McAllister, 28, is charged with a felony count of uttering and publishing. Anthony Dean Lane, 53, is charged with a felony count of writing a check without an account. Both cases now are in 13th Circuit Court.

McAllister in November allegedly used a counterfeit check* to purchase items at Play It Again Sports on South Airport Road in Garfield Township, court records show. Police said Lane in December and January passed several checks from a closed checking account to purchase precious metals throughout Northern Michigan, then sold the metals to jewelry and antique stores.

Some merchants have the ability to electronically verify checks, Traverse City Police Capt. Brian Heffner said. But plenty don't, and those merchants risk check fraud. Businesses should take the time to verify a check by phone, he said.

"I would hope that if they get a check for more than $100, they would take a moment to contact the bank to see if it is a legitimate, open account, and if there are funds to cover the check they have in their hand," he said.

Merchants also should know authorities won't always prosecute bad check cases, Heffner said.

Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Alan Schneider said his office had become a "collection agency" for merchants who refused to install check verification systems and then repeatedly were burned by people cashing checks without enough funds. Schneider will charge cases in which people forge checks or engage in repeated fraudulent activities, but he's not likely to pursue charges in many non-sufficient funds cases.

"If you want to continue to accept checks, you need (to) install one of these systems," Schneider said. "They're not cost-prohibitive."

Play It Again didn't have a verification system and probably won't get one, owner Tom Frieswyk said. The store doesn't receive enough checks to justify such a system, he said.

The business hadn't had a run-in with a forged check before, and Frieswyk said the store will use more caution after the McAllister incident.

"It's heightened our awareness," he said.

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