Police tracking check forger

Cape Girardeau police say they have identified a suspect who they believe forged at least 16 checks, most of them at Wal-Mart, 3439 William St.

Other checks, all believed to have been drawn on the same account using stolen checks, were passed at J.C. Penney, 200 West Park Mall; D-Mart, 3415 William St.; Schnucks, 19 S. Kingshighway; Hastings Books, Music and Video, 2136 William St.; and Food Giant, 1120 N. Kingshighway.

Forgery is a felony, said patrolman Jason Selzer of the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Each forged check will be considered as one separate count of forgery. It will be up to the prosecutor's office to determine how many counts the suspect will ultimately face.

Selzer said the best way for businesses to avoid the loss from accepting a forged check is to demand to see photo identification from everyone who writes a check. Some stores do request a customer write down his social security number, telephone number and sometimes even a birth date, before they'll accept a check.

"You can make that stuff up," Selzer said. "How will they know you don't just pull those numbers out of the air. They should always ask for a photo ID."

Nicole Nolen, assistant manager at Wal-Mart, said asking for a photo ID from every customer isn't always practical. Some people who forge checks know to do their shopping when the store is the busiest. They also know to use a different checkout lane each time they hit the same store.

Nolen said that Wal-Mart requires a cashier to check identification for checks written over a given amount but said she could not give the amount limit. She added that the store's computer system will target checks on a random basis for identification. If a customer writes three checks within a 24-hour period, that is not only a tip-off to cashiers to check for ID, but it's also a warning to the customer.

"If you know that you wrote only one check, it would be a sign that you need to see if someone is forging your checks," she said.

Starter checks on a new account are always regarded with suspicion, Nolen said, especially if they're written for a large sum.

Selzer said that although police believe they know who has been writing the phony checks, detectives have not said when they expect to make an arrest.

lredeffer@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160