8A • COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL • SEPTEMBER 12, 2018
New study identifies how fake check scams bait consumers
An in-depth study by Bet-
ter Business Bureau finds that,
while consumers may write
fewer checks in this era of elec-
tronic financial transactions,
fake check scams are on the
rise.
Fake checks are used in a
variety of frauds, from em-
ployment scams to prize and
sweepstakes fraud. In all cases,
victims deposit the check and
send money back to scammers.
BBB warns consumers to be on
guard against these serious and
pervasive frauds and their per-
petrators.
The investigative study —-
“Don’t Cash That Check: Better
Business Bureau Study Shows
How Fake Check Scams Bait
Consumers” — looks at how
fake checks dupe consumers. It
digs into the scope of the prob-
lem, who is behind it, and the
need for law enforcement and
consumer education to address
the issue.
Scammers often succeed be-
cause consumers don’t realize:
1. Crediting a bank account
does not mean the cashed check
is valid.
Federal banking rules re-
quire that when someone de-
posits a check into an account,
the bank must make the funds
available right away — within a
day or two.
Even when a check is cred-
ited to an account, it does not
mean the check is good. A week
or so later, if the check bounces,
the bank will want the money
back.
Consumers, not the fraud-
sters, will be on the hook for
the funds.
2. Cashier’s checks and postal
money orders can be forged.
A cashier’s check is a check
guaranteed by a bank, drawn
on the bank's own funds and
signed by a cashier. If a person
deposits a cashier’s check, the
person’s bank must credit the
account by the next day.
The same holds true for post-
al money orders. Scammers
use cashier’s checks and postal
money orders because many
people don’t realize they can be
forged.
Fake check fraud is a huge
problem, with complaints to
regulatory agencies and con-
sumer watchdog groups dou-
bling over the last three years.
Frauds employing fake
checks is rapidly growing and
costing billions of dollars. Fake
checks were involved in 7 per-
cent of all complaints filed with
BBB’s Scam Tracker.
The number of complaints
received by the Federal Trade
Commission’s Consumer Sen-
tinel database and the Internet
Fraud Complaint Center more
than doubled between 2014
and 2017.
Based on complaint data
trends, the study suggests that
there may be over 500,000 vic-
tims of counterfeit checks in
2017.
The study found the fraud
affects victims of all ages and
income levels, but consumers
between 20-29 reported being
victimized by the scam more
than consumers of any other
age range.
The National Consumers
League, which also receives
complaints from fraud vic-
tims at fraud.org, found that
fake checks complaints in 2017
were up 12 percent and was the
second most common type of
complaint over all, after online
order issues.
Nigerian gangs appear to be
behind most of this fraud, often
using romance fraud victims
and other “money mules” to re-
ceive money from victims.
Many fake checks and money
orders are shipped to the U.S.
from Nigeria.
The report recommends:
• Organizations such as BBB
and regulatory agencies should
do more to provide fake check
fraud prevention education.
• With wide-scale use of
money mules and others to as-
sist in frauds, it would be useful
for law enforcement agencies
to work collaboratively to both
identify these individuals and
to take action to ensure that
they end these activities.
• Investigative agencies may
need more resources to effec-
tively prosecute fake checks
and other widespread frauds.
• Continued law enforcement
coordination and training with
enforcement counterparts in
Nigeria and elsewhere should
remain important and should
be strengthened.
• Banks and financial institu-
tions might consider more col-
lective efforts to educate their
customers about fake check
frauds.
What to do if you have de-
posited a fake check into your
account:
1) Notify your bank or the
bank that appears to have is-
sued the check.
File a complaint:
Better Business Bureau
Federal Trade Commission
(FTC): call 877-FTC-Help
U.S. Postal Inspection Ser-
vice Western Union: Call
1-800-448-1492 or visit www.
westernunion.com/us/en/file
-complaint.html.
MoneyGram: call 1-800-926-
9400.
OUT WITH CABLE.
IN WITH SAVINGS.
Get a $ 100 AT&T Visa® Reward Card † when
you sign up for DIRECTV SELECT ™ Package
or above.
W/ 24-mo. agreement. Redemption required.
EARLY TERMINATION FEE OF $20/MO. FOR EACH MONTH REMAINING ON AGMT., $35 ACTIVATION, EQUIP. NON-RETURN & ADD’L FEES APPLY.
New approved residential customers only (equipment lease req’d). Credit card req’d (except MA & PA).
Ask me how to Bundle and save. CALL TODAY!
IV SUPPORT HOLDINGS LLC
855-502-2578
†$100 Reward Card for purchase of qualifying DIRECTV SELECT and above; Offer not available in select locations. For new residential customers in the U.S. (excludes Puerto Rico and U.S.V.I.). Residents of select multi-dwelling units are not eligible for this offer. Reward Card: Will be sent letter with redemption requirements.
Redemption req’d w/in 75 days from reward notification mail date. Reward Card delivered within 3-4 weeks after redemption to customers who maintain qualifying service from installation date and through reward fulfillment. Card expires at month-end, 6 mos. after issuance. No cash access. For cardholder agreement, go to
rewardcenter.att.com/myrewardcard/agreement_FSV.pdf. AT&T Reward Card issued by U.S. Bank National Association, pursuant to license from Visa. U.S.A Inc. May not be combined with other promotional offers on same services. Offer ends 6/30/18. DIRECTV SVC TERMS: Subject to Equipment Lease & Customer
Agreements. Must maintain a min. base TV pkg of $29.99/mo. Programming, pricing, terms and conditions subject to change at any time. Visit directv.com/legal or call for details. ©2018 AT&T Intellectual Property. All Rights Reserved. AT&T, Globe logo, DIRECTV, and all other DIRECTV marks contained herein are trademarks of
AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.
Your Family Deserves The
the most incredible laugh,”
CREATIVE from A1
Dowell said.
Ages for the acting troupe
“We met every Monday
range between 19 and 65 but
and just workshopped off
Dowell said everyone found
their characters they had
a part from tightrope walker
picked,” Dowell said. By ear-
to unicorn tamer.
ly August, she had a story
“The curtain went up on
and then a set and
Friday night and
then costumes.
Shows will take place Friday and everyone knew
Last weekend’s
their lines and
Saturday, Sept. 14 and 15, at 7
opening night was
their parts, it was
sold out.
great,” Dowell said.
p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 16, at 2
“The cool thing
“It’s great to see
p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be them get to be on
about this project is
that I have a couple
stage and they’ve
purchased at the Opal Center.
of actors who are
done interviews
non-verbal,” Dow-
and to see them
ell said. “Or they
will crack up laughing ev- have the experience of other
can’t really talk or they can ery time he sees one. So, I actors, it’s wonderful.”
talk but you can’t really un- take the card and we go over
Creative Chaos played to
derstand what they’re trying to a statue I got and pull a packed house last year and
to sat so it was a little chal- off a towel and he laughs so far, is on track to do the
lenging.”
That’s where the early
summer workshops came
in.
HIGH SPEED INTERNET
Dowell was able to work
with each actor and assess
their strengths and weak-
nesses. She learned that
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL AUTHORIZED RETAILER
14.95/mo.
49.99/mo.
Mike, 65, really only talks HyperLinkh
Satellite Internet
855-977-9436
when he wants to, so in Cre-
ative Chaos he enters the
stage and hands Dowell a
card.
“And the card says, ‘Hi,
my name is Mike and I have
the world’s most conta-
gious laugh.’ And for some
reason, I found out that he
loves Buddha statues. He
EARTHLINK INTERNET
Enjov big-time Internet speeds without spending big bucks!
Get Connected for as low as
Get Connected for as low as
$
For the first 3 months (Offers varv bv speed & location)
first 12 months
High-Speed Internet
Connection speeds up to 75 Mbps*
What you get with HughesNet Satellite Internet:
! 50X faster than DSL!!** ! High speed with fiber optic technology
! Fast speeds up to 25 Mbps ! Available everywhere
! Fast download time for streaming videos, music and more!
! Larger data allowance (up to 50 GB per month)
Speed performance allowing vou to stream & download shows, music, photos, large files and more on multiple devices
HughesNet is a registered trademark of Hughes Network Systems, LLC, an EchoStar company. The HughsNet Gen5 service plans are designed to deliver download speeds of 25 Mbps and
upload speeds of 3 Mbps, but individual customers may experience different speeds at different times of the day. Speeds and uninterrupted use are not guaranteed and may vary based on
a variety of factors including: the configuration of your computer, the number of concurrent users, network of Internet congestion, the capabilities and content of the websites you are
accessing, network management practices as deemed necessary, and other factors. When you connected to HughesNet service using Wi-Fi, your experience will vary based on your proximity
to the Wi-Fi source and the strength of the signal. *Speeds may vary depending on distance, line quality and number of devices used concurrently. Subject to availability. Some prices shown
may be introductory offers. Equipment fees, taxes and other fees and restrictions may apply. **Speed comparison based on 1.5 Mbps DSL.
Another dental visit?
Turns out, you have better things
to do with your time.
BEST
same this year with shows
scheduled for Friday and
Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sun-
day at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10
and can be purchased at the
Opal Center.
For more information,
contact Dowell at creative
chaos@gmail.org
Add High Speed Internet
14 . 95
$
CALL TODAY
Save 20%!
leaving more time for whatever is important to you.
Implants •Teeth Whitening • Extractions • Lumineers (no prep veneers as seen on TV)
Delight Valley
Church of Christ
33087 Saginaw Rd. East
541-942-7711
Pastor: Bob Friend
Two Services:
9am - Classic in the Chapel
10:30am - Contemporary in the
Auditorium
First Baptist Church
301 S. 6th st • 541-942-8242
Interim Pastor: Reed Webster
Sunday School 9:30am
Worship Service 11:00am
Youth Wednesday 6:30pm
cgfi rstbaptist.com
Calvary Baptist Church
77873 S 6th St • 541-942-4290
Pastor: Riley Hendricks
Sunday School: 9:45am
Worship: 11:00am
The Journey: Sunday 5:00pm
Praying Thru Life: Wednesday 6:00pm
First Presbyterian Church
3rd and Adams St
541-942-4479
Rev.: Karen Hill
Worship: 10:00am
Sunday School: 10:00am
fpcgrove.com
Calvary Chapel Cottage Grove
1447 Hwy 99 (Village Plaza)
541-942-6842
Pastor: Jeff Smith
Two Services on Sun:
9am & 10:45am
Youth Group Bible Study
Child Care 10:45am Service Only
www.cgcalvary.org
Hope In The Grove
700 E. Gibbs • 401-855-5668
Pastor: Wayne Husk
Sunday services:
Worship: 9am
Coffee Fellowship: 10:15am
Bible Study: 10:30am
Hope Fellowship
United Pentecostal Church
100 S. Gateway Blvd.
541-942-2061
Pastor: Dave Bragg
Worship: 11:00am Sunday
Bible Study: 7:00pm Wednesday
www.hopefellowshipupc.com
“FINDING HOPE IN YOUR LIFE”
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
and St. Philip Benizi
Catholic Churches
1025 N. 19th St.
541-942-3420
Father: Joseph Hung Nguyen
Holy Mass:
Tue-Thu: 8:30am; Sat:5:30pm
Sun: 10:30am
Confession: After daily mass,
Sat. 4-5pm or by appointment
St. Philip Benizi, Creswell
552 Holbrock Lane
541-895-8686, Sunday: 8:30am
St. Andrews Episcopal Church
1301 W. Main • 541-767-9050
Rev. Lawrence Crumb
“Church with the fl ags.”
Worship: Sunday 10:30am
All Welcome
Seventh-day Adventist Church
820 South 10th Street
541-942-5213
Pastor: Kevin Miller
Bible Study: Saturday, 9:15 am
Worship Service: Saturday, 10:40
Mid-week Service: Wednesday, 1:00
Trinity Lutheran Church
6th & Quincy • 541-942-2373
Pastor: James L. Markus
Sunday School & Adult Education
9:15am
Sunday Worship 10:30 am
Comm. Kitchen Free Meal Tue & Thur
5:00pm TLC Groups
tlccg.com
United Methodist Church
334 Washington • 541-942-3033
Pastor:Lura Kidner-Miesen
Worship: 10:30am
Comm. Dinner (Adults $5,
Kids Free)
1st & 3rd Monday 5-6:00pm
umcgrove.org
Non-Denominational
Church of Christ
1041 Pennoyer Ave
541-942-8928
Preacher: Tony Martin
“VICTORY” Country Church
Sunday Bible Study:10:00am
Sunday Worship:10:50am & 5:30pm 913 S. 6th Street • 541-942-5913
Pastor: Barbara Dockery
www.pennoyeravecoc.com
Worship Service: 10:00am
Message: “WE BELIEVE IN
Old Time Gospel Fellowship
MIRACLES”
103 S. 5th St. • 541-942-4999
Pastor: Jim Edwards
CRESWELL:
Sunday Service: 10:00am
Join in Traditional Christian Worship Creswell Presbyterian Church
75 S 4th S • 541-895-3419
Rev. Seth Wheeler
Adult Sunday School 9:15am
Sunday Worship Service 10:30 am
website www.creswellpres.org
Worship With Us!
Our Worship Directory is a weekly feature
in the newspaper. If your congregation
would like to be a part of this directory,
please contact the
Cottage Grove Dental
Dr. Brent Bitner, DDS
350 Washington, Cottage Grove
(behind Better Bodies)
1-866-373-9175
Offer ends 11/14/18. Savings with 2 year price guarantee with AT120 starting at $59.99 compared to everyday price. All offers require credit qualification, 2 year commitment with early termination fee and eAutoPay. Prices include Hopper Duo for qualifying customers.
Hopper, Hopper w/ Sling or Hopper 3 $5/mo. more. Upfront fees may apply based on credit qualification. Fees apply for additional TVs: Hopper $15/mo., Joey $5/mo., Super Joey $10/mo. All new customers are subject to a one-time, nonrefundable processing fee.
COTTAGE GROVE:
6th & Gibbs Church of Christ
195 N. 6th St. • 541-942-3822
Pastor: Aaron Earlywine
Summer Service: 9:30 am
Christian Education:
Pre-K through 5th
www.6thandgibbs.com
Cottage Grove Faith Center
33761 Row River Rd.
541-942-4851
Lead Pastor: Kevin Pruett
www.cg4.tv
Full Childrenʼs Ministry available
Service: 10:00am
and return visit. Everything is done in one visit, in about an hour -
/mo.
Subject to availability. Restrictions apply.
Internet not provided by DISH and will be billed separately.
190 Channels
DRAIN:
HOPE U.M.C.
131 W “A” St. Drain, OR
541-315-1617
Pastor: Lura Kidner-Miesen
Fellowship & Song: 11:30am
Potluck Lunch: 12:00pm
Worship: 12:30pm
Cottage Grove Bible Church
1200 East Quincy Avenue
541-942-4771
Pastor:Bob Singer
Worship 11am
Sunday School:9:45am
AWANA age 3-8th Grade,
Wednesdays Sept-May, 6:30pm
www.cgbible.org
fillings or veneers. With CEREC, there's usually no need for a temporary
• Watch and record 16 shows at once
• Get built-in Netflix and YouTube
• Watch TV on your mobile devices
Worship
Directory
Church of Christ
420 Monroe St • 541-942-8565
Sunday Service: 10:30am
technology that allows for a faster experience when you need crowns,
Upgrade to the Hopper® 3
Smart HD DVR
Hopper upgrade fee $5/mo.
Center for Spiritual Living
700 Gibbs Ave. (Community Center)
Rev. Bobby Lee
Meets Sunday 3:00 p.m.
cslcottagegrove@gmail.com
We know your time is valuable. That's why we've invested in CEREC
Technology...
Value...
TV!...
942-7934
CEREC® is a registered trademark of Sirona Dental Systems.
Cottage Grove Sentinel
@ 541-942-3325