RINCON, Ga. -- Authorities are warning you about a scam that's using homeless people to cash fake checks. Effingham County Sheriff's offcials said a bank in Rincon was a target, and they believe the criminals could be moving deeper into our area.
Authorities said Rodmon Taylor, 44, of Atlanta, and James Bass, 28, walked into the Coastal Bank on Highway 21 on New Year's Eve and tried to cash fake checks.
David Ehsanipoor, spokesman for the Effingham County Sheriff's Office, said the men are homeless and from the Atlanta area.
"It seems to be a new trend apparently that's going around and is starting to come towards our region," he said.
Authorities say the Coastal Bank had been victimized the day before for a total of $13,000, so bank employees called police when these two suspects came in with similar checks for $7,000 and $8,000.
"The people basically go to homeless shelters, recruit the homeless people with a valid, with any kind of ID and they ask them if they want to go ahead and make some quick money. They'll agree to pay them a small portion of the check if they go and cash this fictitious check," said Ehsanipoor.
Deputies are still looking for a bald black man in a brown jacket and white t-shirt and a bald black man wearing a Braves jacket in connection with scam, but authorities are also working to track down the ringleaders.
Officials want you to be aware, so crooks don't take advantage of your personal information.
"Be more mindful on where they leave certain items as far as their account numbers and routing numbers," said Ehsanipoor.
Officials said the two suspects arrested are charged with first degree forgery. One of the men told investigators he had done this several times before in the Atlanta area and gotten away with it.
If you have any information in this case, you're asked to call the Effingham County Sheriff's Office at 912-754-3449.
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