Some Lincoln residents may know how stressful it is to be an unwitting part of a crime. For example, this can include people who try cashing phony checks or people who wind up with counterfeit money. No matter how it happens, monetary fraud can occur anywhere to anyone, which is why it is important to have a criminal defense plan if you ever wind up in a situation that involves fraud.
One loosely organized, large scale operation that is potentially called Operation Homeless truly brings the warning home. This organization generally targets transient populations and promises money, meals or hotel rooms in exchange for the homeless target cashing in a fake check at a bank. The exact dollar amount is unknown, but Lincoln police have been aware of the group’s activity since three homeless people had bogus checks worth over $21,000, which were cashed in January.
Three men so far have been caught and tried for being part of this scam. One man from Georgia has been sentenced to 7 to 14 years in prison for his hand in this scam. The other two men were caught on forgery chargers and are currently awaiting trial. It is unknown if any of the homeless people have been charged for their involvement with the crimes.
Hopefully many will go through their lives without ever becoming an unwitting part of someone else’s scam, but the potential is still present. If you have already found yourself a victim of criminal fraud activity, you may benefit from the opinion of an attorney.
