A Member has reported that a number of cheques sent to other Brokerages by mail have been compromised.
While in transit, the cheques have been stolen and tampered with, such that a new payee has been superimposed on them. The cheques have then been cashed at several different locations.
Since cheque numbers and amounts have remained unchanged on the falsified cheques, they are difficult to capture.
Window envelopes have also been targeted in the occurrences, and the amount of funds involved in the fraudulent activity reported has reached nearly $100,000.
Accordingly, Members are encouraged to be vigilant with respect to all financial documents being sent by mail.
Did you know? The following are all accessible from the Stratus home page via the Your Information Centre button.
- Member Alerts (including archived items);
- A Fraud Red Flag Checklist;
- CREA’s ‘The Safe Side - REALTOR® Safety Issues’ brochure; and,
- REALTOR® Safety Tips.