Florida Police Chief Sent Fake Check By Would-Be Scammers

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ST. PETERSBURG (CBSMiami/AP) – A St. Petersburg police chief said someone tried to scam him by sending a fake check.

Officials on Thursday said a phony check was recently delivered via Priority Mail to St. Petersburg Police Chief Tony Holloway. The check was addressed to department headquarters and purported to be worth $2,450.

Holloway was suspicious. He brought it to the Economic Crimes Unit, and detectives confirmed it was fake by contacting the bank it was drawn upon.

Authorities say this type of scam is very common. The would-be thieves generally send a letter along with the check explaining what it is for and instructing the recipient to cash it, then to keep some money and sending the rest to an offshore account.

Holloway's check didn't come with a letter.

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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