Use of stolen cheques rampant

Press, 30 November 1982, Page 3

Use of stolen cheques rampant

PA Auckland Auckland fraud squad detectives are being inundated with complaints about stolen cheques and credit cards. One detective said, he feared the workload would double, or even treble, before Christmas.

The squad is dismayed at the ease with which some people have been using stolen cheques to obtain goods-and cash. Two young men arrested recently had used stolen cheques to buy goods worth $12,500 in four days. ■' Detective Senior-Sergeant Brian Kemp advised shopkeepers to satisfy themselves about the identity of people offering cheques. “They should be asking the person offering cheques a few questions, not just accepting, the cheques.” He said that a.shopkeeper should not accept a driver’s licence as identification without asking questions, becayse often the licence had been stolen.

The police have also warned about the security of cash-flow cards, which can be used to obtain cash from a bank’s vending machine. “The number to the card should never be kept with the card, or in a bag containing the card,” said SeniorSergeant Kemp. “The public should know that the number does; not stay with the cash card,'but with the customer. They (the 7 owners of the cards) will be ’( the losers.” x s; - ■ The use of stolen credit cards is also worrying the fraud squad..,.,. '..... A cheque book has only 30 cheques, but there is no limit \ to , the. number, of times, a < credit:. card can be used u fraudulently,- ■ I? Senior-Sergeant Kemp said n one'eardhad been used 197 5 | times,.after..being stolen in y Auckland.