TEXARKANA POLICE DEPARTMENT
TEXARKANA, ARKANSAS
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 20, 2009 (Friday)
Officer Kristi Mitchell
Public Information Officer
903-798-3187 (office) 903-260-0294 (pager)
903-824-4199 (cell) 903-798-3023 (fax)
The Texarkana Arkansas Police Department would like to warn the citizens of Texarkana about a check scam that has been reported in the area. Texarkana Arkansas Police have received two similar reports of a check scam that started with an ad in local newspaper advertising part time employment. The victims in these cases called the phone number on the ad and gave personal information. A letter and fraudulent check, in the amount of $2800, was sent to each victim by mail. The letter instructed the victim to cash the $2800 check and then wire back $2500 to the company, paying the victim $300 for part-time employment in the marketing research field. The letter stated the assignment would be to go to any local Wal-Mart and observe how the “MoneyGram” system worked during the process of wiring the $2500 to an unknown address in Canada.
Texarkana Arkansas investigators determined that this is a scam and the checks were fraudulent. Permission Research is the name of the fraudulent company with an address out of Los Angeles, CA.
Scams like this, along with countless others, are circulating around the country everyday. The people who perpetrate these crimes are smart and creative in finding ways to take money from unsuspecting, good citizens. If you unexpectedly receive a check in the mail for any amount of money, take it to the bank or your local law enforcement agency. Remember, if is sounds too good too be true, it probably is.
Thank you and you can visit the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department online at http://www.txkusa.org/arkpolice.