Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks is encouraging local businesses to sign up for the Fraudulent Check Diversion Program. The program aims to mitigate losses from fraudulent checks.
“We unfortunately see local businesses lose hundreds of thousands of dollars a year due to fraudulent checks,” Hicks said. “Check fraud is a crime and is a significant challenge for our financial system. Our community suffers heavy financial harm when goods and services are essentially stolen through the use of bad checks.”
Numerous local businesses have benefited from the program, Hicks added. In 2023, a local pet hospital encountered 14 fraudulent checks, while a flooring company faced nearly half a dozen instances. One Reno casino had three cases totaling over $45,000 paid in restitution.
The program pays full restitution to businesses by providing fraud check writers with a supervised payment plan instead of prosecution. Participants must also attend educational sessions focused on responsible check-writing, budgeting practices and understanding the repercussions of criminal behavior.
“The goal behind this program is to offer bad check writers the opportunity to make full restitution to their creditor in a safe, structured way while avoiding going to court for their actions,” Hicks explained. “This streamlined process avoids additional strain on our overburdened criminal justice system and makes victims whole.”
Since 2015, the program has collected more than $1.2 million in restitution and fees that have been returned to local businesses and used to support the program. Learn more here.
Source: Washoe County DA
