Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Deputies arrested Brian Oliver Dare, age 36, of Reno last week on charges related to altering and cashing the check of a 90-year-old south Reno woman.
Dare, who was working as a driver for The Salvation Army at the time of the incident, was called to the woman’s home to pick up a mattress sometime in late September. According to investigators, Dare told the victim that The Salvation Army would not accept her mattress because of a stain. He then said that he would take care of the stain and the mattress for thirty dollars and asked the woman to write a check to him personally.
After receiving the check, Dare altered the check amount from the initial $30 to $330, investigators said. He then proceeded to cash the check for the higher amount.
After noting the discrepancy, the victim contacted the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office. The subsequent investigation led to the arrest of Dare on one charge each of Forgery, First Degree Burglary, Intent to Utter a Fictitious Note, Obtaining Money Under False Pretenses and Violation of Probation Conditions.
Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Detectives investigating this case think there may be additional victims of fraudulent activity by Dare. Anyone who may have been in similar circumstances is encouraged to review their bank statements immediately and to contact the Detective Division at (775) 328-3320 if they detect anything suspicious.
“It is not the policy of The Salvation Army to solicit or receive monetary donations during the pick-up of household donations,” Major Michael Zielinski, Washoe County Coordinator for the Salvation Army said. “If an individual is solicited for a monetary donation during a household donation pick-up, please call our office at (775) 688-4555 to report the incident. We apologize for the inappropriate action taken by Mr. Dare.”
As the holiday season approaches, the Sheriff’s Office would like to remind residents to be alert for scams in which criminals pose as friends, family, respected companies, government agencies and charities in an attempt to fraudulently obtain money quickly.
“Con-artists” are constantly looking for new ways to defraud the public. These criminals will lie, distract or persuade people into making split-second decisions. The following safeguards are from the Staying Safe page at WashoeSheriff.com:
- Residents with caller ID are encouraged not to answer a call if they don’t recognize the telephone number. Allow the unfamiliar caller to leave a message.
- When on the phone with an unknown solicitor, get as much identifying information about the caller as possible, including a call-back number.
- If an unwanted caller persists, tell the caller that you have already contacted local law enforcement.
- Do not post personal information on social networking sites. Never post addresses, telephone numbers and places you are visiting or planning to visit.
- Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as members of organizations or officials asking for donations via e-mail or social networking sites.
- Never provide personal or financial information unless you have complete confidence in the person/organization you are dealing with. Providing this information to an unknown party may make you vulnerable to identity theft.
- Do not send money through electronic services if you’re called regarding a loved one that has been incarcerated in another county, state or country without verification of that family member’s status.
- Be aware that scammers are now posing as law enforcement agencies, threatening potential victims with arrest for outstanding warrants if immediate payment conditions are not met. Again, do not provide these callers with any personal or financial information, and report the call to local law enforcement immediately.
SOURCE: WCSO.
