post losses

Staff Writer

Thomaston merchants say they might stop cashing payroll checks all together if police can't catch members of a phony check ring operating in the area.

Two more phony checks $781.80 were cashed at the Piggly Wiggly store at 301 North Center Street last week. Manager Bill McDowell said Monday he's considering putting a stop to payroll cashing all together.

"As it stands now, all checks have to be approved through me," the grocery store manager said. "We're looking at stopping check cashing all together."

McDowell said he has been burned several times and that the phony checks are causing a problem for his business.

"The thing is, these are the most real looking checks I've ever seen," the manager said. "Plus, they are using a Georgia driver's license which is

fake but looks real. It even has a hologram on it because I held it up and looked at it myself."

The Piggly Wiggly manager said Monday he has five fake payroll checks which were cashed in recent weeks. He said all of the checks are in close to $400 each.

He said so far, checks have been cashed by a bald medium complected African American man with closely trimmed sideburns. A tall, thin light-skinned African American woman has also cashed checks in the area.

Bill Singh, manager of the 7/11 Convenience Store on the Barnesville Highway said he has been burned so much, the scam is causing him financial problems.

"The got me for five this time and five last time," Singh said, "I've lost over $2,000 so far and it really makes me think twice about taking payroll checks."

Singh said he plans to continue cashing checks for customers he knows, but that's it. "I told all of my employees if they don't know the person, don't cash the checks."

Singh said he provided police with a video surveillance tape which has a clear picture of the female suspect cashing the check. He said he has also provided police with a fingerprint and pictures of men who cashed fake checks earlier in the year.

"We've had several people come in here and cash the phony checks," the convenience store manager said. "I don't know for sure, but it looks as if one person is manufacturing the checks and he's getting other people to come in and cash them and they are splitting the money."

Lt. Tim Ledbetter with the Thomaston Police Department said earlier there are things merchants can look for.

"The first thing is to be wary of someone cashing a payroll check on a Sunday," the lieutenant said. "Generally, if someone gets paid on a Friday he's going to cash the check on Friday. Chances are that someone wouldn't hold a payroll check until Sunday and then go and cash it at a convenience store or a grocery store.

"They are using all different names, though some of the checks bear the same name," the detective said. He was hesitant to release names on the checks or say which stores have so far been targeted.

Ledbetter said the checks often have addresses which includes roads and streets which do not exist. "A lot have street names that don't belong in Thomaston," he said. "That's one thing people should be aware of and look out for."

According to the investigator, those cashing the checks are also using phony driver's licenses with false identities matching the checks.

"One thing I have noticed is that often, the expiration date on the driver's licenses being used is 05," he said. "They are using local routing numbers, but the name of the bank might be wrong," he said.