Scammers send fake government checks to Pasco County residents, investigators say

ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. - Pasco County investigators have identified a scam in which criminals are sending fake government checks to residents, hoping to trick people into depositing the checks and sending the scammers money.

According to County Clerk Nikki Alvarez-Sowles, investigators have intercepted more than 300 fraudulent checks, many of which look legitimate. They include copied signatures from Alvarez-Sowles and the former county commission chair, along with the correct bank account number for the county.

"It looks like it's my signature," said Alvarez-Sowles, adding she believes the scammers somehow got a hold of a real county check and copied it. "It may have been lifted from a legitimate check that was sent out to a customer or to a business and the information could have been pulled from that check to create the fraudulent check."

The county clerk said it appears the checks were randomly sent to residents, with directions telling recipients to send money back to the scammer.

The amounts ranged from a few hundred dollars, up to $180,000. All told, the scam could have cost the county about $1 million.

"We have safeguards in place in our office to make sure that the check is not able to be cashed on our account," said Alvarez-Sowles, adding the county has not lost any money as a result of the scam so far. "If you receive a check from a government entity, and you're not expecting that check, look at it carefully. Is there any telltale signs that it's not a legitimate check?"

A Zephyrhills woman, Lisa Comstack, said the fake check was only part of a much bigger issue for her. According to Comstack, the scam artists stole her identity, including her social security number, opened a bank account under her name and deposited one of the bad checks, totaling about $1,300.

Comstack realized something was wrong when she received a suspicious debit card linked to a Bank of America account she didn't open. When she saw the check in her account, she notified the county.

"Somebody had fraudulently taken a check and made it out to me and made it for a different amount," she said. "I hadn't even changed my driver's license with my new address on it, but yet they know my new address. They know where I live. So it's you know, it's a little scary."

Comstack, who is still dealing with the fallout of having her identity stolen, immediately notified the county, which added her case to its investigation. Anyone who receives a county check should contact the Pasco County Clerk's Office.