News, sport and entertainment from the Bournemouth Echo and Dorset Echo.

Businesses warned over cheque fraud

From the Echo, first published Saturday 19th Feb 2005.

BUSINESSES are being warned to be on their guard against bogus customers offering fat cheques, after one Bournemouth hotel came close to losing thousands of pounds in a scam.

Paul and Anne Eyles, from the Abbey Court Hotel in Knole Road, Boscombe, received a sham e-mail booking from someone claiming to work for a big corporation.

The fraudster sent a cheque for far more than the booking fee, but then suggested this was a company error and asked the hotel to send the balance back by Western Union money transfer.

But the couple smelled a rat and decided to contact both their bank and Western Union about the suspicious request.

"None of it seemed to ring true," said Mrs Eyles. "When the cheque arrived, it came in a brown envelope with nothing else inside, and the address looked as if it had been written by a five-year-old.

"And when we talked to the manager at Western Union, he told us it was definitely a scam."

Criminals know it takes time to process a cheque through the UK banking system and hope victims will send a cash transfer before they discover a cheque is stolen or forged.

Even though Mr and Mrs Eyles realised it was a con, they still ended up out of pocket because the bank charged them for depositing a dud cheque.

Now, the couple and local trading standards officers are warning other hotels and businesses to watch out for similar ruses.

"Anyone who gets a cheque for more money than they are expecting should just rip it up," said Mrs Eyles.

Bournemouth's principal trading standards officer, Andy Sherriff, said: "Wisely, the hoteliers suspected a scam, and refused to send any cash.

"Their instincts were right, as they subsequently found out that the cheque had been stolen, but they could have been fleeced if they hadn't been so wary."

He added: "Anyone running a small businesses should be suspicious of large cheque payments, particularly when they are accompanied by a request for a partial refund.

"We've seen this type of scam used on people selling cars, and it looks as though the con men are now targeting hotels."

First published: February 19

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