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Saturday, August 7, 2010

Beware Fraudulant Door-to-Door Solicitors

Recently,  Two young whilte adults, , one male with dyed blond hair and one female, dark brown hair put up on head and of short stature, about 16 to 18 years old, knocked at a resident's door about 11:00 am in Chester Village Green, and asked for donations to various organizations (which varied from door to door), for example: Thomas Dale H. S. soccer team' trip to Hawaii; magazine subscriptions for soldiers in Iraq, etc. The magazines were through a company they called, MFA (Marquis Fulfillment Agency). An internet search for that company turns up an entire sheet of listings reflecting incidences of fraud magazine sales across the United States. They also went from door to door.

As residents began to compare notes and sheck on their stories, it became apparent that it was all fraud. Some residents lost money, some had to close their checking accounts.

Several police reports have been made. The first police report is #201008062018. All subsequent reports related to the same case go under this number. The police ask all who were solicited to contact them at 748-1269,  using the same Case #201008062018. If you wish, you can request a police officer to come to your home to take the report. If you have trouble reaching the police, call our District Supervisor, Dorothy Jaeckle, 748-1211.

When people come to your door, it is safer not to open it, if you do not know them. Always ask for a photo ID. Do NOT write checks for anyone you do not know, since a combination of brake fluid and alcohol can cause the ink to disappear on the check leaving everything else in place, including your signature. Keep a camera handy and take a photo of the caller(s) from a window as they leave, for police use. Call the police right away and ask them to come right away if the callers are going to other homes in the neighborhood, asking the police to  make it a "silent" call (no sirens) in order not to scare the callers away.
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