Norfolk DA Program to Help Businesses Recover Bad Check Losses

Norfolk County District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey this week launched a new way for businesses in the area to deal with bad checks.

“The existing ways of dealing with bounced checks has left a lot of merchants, tradesmen and small businesses frustrated and still out their money,” Morrissey said in a statement. “This kind of crime is an indirect theft from the honest customers who have to pay higher prices to cover the loss. We wanted to find a good way to deal with bad checks.”

The program has five key components:

• Bad check reports are easy to file and follow-up action is prompt.
• Upon recovery, 100 percent of the face value of the check is returned to the victim.
• There is no minimum dollar restriction.
• Bad check offenders must complete an educational class at their own expense.
• The program operates at no cost to the county or the taxpayers.

Business owners and managers can visit www.norfolkda.com for additional information.

“The objective is to make merchants whole and to give offenders some education on the consequences of passing bad checks. Many falsely believe they are committing a victimless crime,” Morrissey said. “The benefit to the offender is that, if they cooperate, in many instances they can avoid criminal prosecution.”

Morrissey announced the launch of his Bad Check Restitution Program last week as part of the Retail Crime Prevention Seminar he brought to a merchants meeting in Dedham.