 Stolen: 7-ton Hyster forklift, model H150F, Serial# D6S-1537S. |
Forklift dealer Brian Talbot of Starline Forklifts is warning the industry to beware of stolen bank cheques after he was conned out of close to $30,000 last week.
A man, who claimed to be from Moree in New South Wales, contacted Talbot and said he was interested in purchasing two forklifts he'd viewed on the company's website.
"He said his driver would be in Brisbane the following week to pick up the forklifts and pay for them," Talbot tells
Forkliftaction.com News.
The driver duly arrived with a semi-trailer truck, and presented Talbot with a bank guaranteed cheque totalling $28,600, the combined price of the two forklifts.
According to Talbot, the man filled out the paperwork, using the business details of a genuine company, and left with the forklifts. He then deposited the cheque, which was accepted by his bank, but was phoned the following day to be told that it had been dishonoured by CBA as it was a stolen cheque.
Talbot says he is still in discussion with the bank over the issue, and will be meeting with the ombudsman in due course.
One of the forklifts is a 7-ton Hyster forklift, model H150F, Serial# D6S-1537S.
According to Talbot, it is fairly unique in that it has a wide double-side shifting carriage - which means that it has one carriage in front of the other and has a very low mast and can only lift one container - not one on top of the other (which is the usual way to lift). The rego plate as shown in the photograph was removed prior to pick-up.
He asks the industry to be on the look out for it as well as the second forklift, a 2.5 ton Komatsu forklift, model FD25-14, Serial# 568606, Engine# 4D49E-57223.
"If you should hear anything of these forklifts, or anyone enquiring about parts for these forklifts, we would appreciate you contacting us straight away," says Talbot.
Other details Talbot noticed include the accent of the man on the phone which was a South England accent, almost cockney. Talbot also does not believe the man was from Moree as the semi-trailer used was extremely old and had a flat tyre on the left hand side, which suggests he wasn't going far. He is hoping police will be able to secure CCTV footage of the vehicle with the forklifts.
Steven Münchenberg, chief executive of the Australian Bankers' Association (ABA), tells
Forkliftaction.com News that bank cheques are like any other cheque - they have to be cleared before they are honoured by the bank. A cheque is cleared for the customer to withdraw funds when it is paid by the other bank. Cheque clearance takes three days as it is still a paper system.
"If an individual/merchant needs the funds quickly, a valid cheque can be cleared on the day it is presented at the bank if you ask for a 'special clearance' which often attracts a fee," says Münchenberg.
Bank cheques also need to be cleared because they could still be dishonoured by the bank if the cheque is forged, has been materially altered, is reported lost or stolen or is subject to a court order restraining payment.
"If an individual is selling a car, for example, you could go to the bank with the purchaser of your car and ask for a special clearance. This means that a valid cheque can be cleared on the day it is presented. Fees apply for this service. Individuals also have the option of transferring funds into their bank accounts through internet banking, which can be quicker than waiting for cheque clearance," he adds.
He says bank cheque fraud is rare. "The Australian Payments Clearing Association collects data on payments fraud, including cheques overall but not on bank cheque fraud specifically. The data over the last three-and-a-half years shows the number of incidents and the dollar value of cheque fraud overall is nearly half of what it was in mid-2006, when the survey first started."