A New Twist On An Old Ploy

By: Staff Email

Updated: Wed 6:02 PM, Nov 03, 2010

Douglas County is warning businesse owners about an old scam with a new twist.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office sent out an alert Wednesday regarding an ongoing scam that leaves business owners picking up the tab.

According to authorities the scam begins when a suspect contacts the business via email or phone call about making reservations for a large group for multiple nights then requests to pay in advance.

The suspect than proceeds to send the payment via check for more that the cost of the total before requesting the proprietor to refund the remainder, usually several thousand dollars.

Sound familiar? A similar scam on a smaller scale which usually involves a purchase online that requests the seller to deposit the fraudulent check and return the remainder to the buyer.

The victim is then left liable for the coverage of the fraudulent check with their bank in addition to the remainder returned to the scammer.

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