Six charged in big-box check fraud

Four men and two women were arrested in Rochester, Minn. on charges of check fraud at local home improvement stores, including Home Depot and Menards.

According to a report by the Rochester Post-Bulletin newspaper, the six individuals – described as homeless – were picked up after a resident received a box of blank checks at her door, and later alerted police after one of the individuals arrived at her door and demanded the package.

The checks were linked to a later crime at a local Menards store, when store officials became suspicious about a check for more than $5,000 written for a number of big-ticket items, linked to an account that was later discovered to have no money, according to the report.

An Olmsted County, Minn., attorney said the group had a shopping list and receipts for $6,266.89 at Lowe’s and $3,754.95 at Home Depot. The shopping list indicated that they intended to purchase the items from eight area businesses and take them to North Carolina.