‘Fraud is here’: How Fishers store owners are fighting back

FISHERS, Ind (WISH) – Fighting fraud isn’t easy, which is why a free class was offered to local owners to keep them ahead of the curve.

It’s a subject employees at Architectural Brick and Tile in Fishers try to study. “It’s hard to stay on top of this,” company controller Robyn Leeman said.

To fight it, she was one of several store employees to take part in a Fishers Police Department seminar Monday. “We want our clients to feel comfortable; we want our employees to feel comfortable here,” Leeman said.

The class was taught by Detective Dean Mucha. “What’s new today is old tomorrow — and same thing for next week. It’s going to be different than it was this week,” Mucha said.

The big thing officers are dealing with is identity theft. “Typically, the credit card fraud is still the big thing, but the biggest thing that we’re seeing is email phishing scams, where someone is receiving an email which looks like it’s from the company, but it is not,” Mucha said.

To fight it, Mucha said owners should know their employees. Monitor all accounts and offer a hotline where employees can leave tips.

One type of case officers keep encountering are fake checks being written from businesses in Fishers, and then those thieves will bring the checks to downtown Indianapolis. Officers said the suspects will find someone who’s homeless, have them cash the check and give the homeless person a few hundred dollars, and the perpetrators keep the rest.

“I’d say on a monthly basis we have at least three or four reports come in where this type of instance happens,” Mucha said. It’s a scary scenarios for small business owners.

“Some of it I was glad to know that we’re doing,” Leeman said. “Other things I think we could do better.”

Fishers police plans to conduct more of these classes. If you’re interested, contact Detective Mucha at muchad@fishers.in.us.