Fraud, forgery cases being investigated

Police in Canfield and Austintown are investigating three unrelated reports involving fraud and forgery.
According to one report, a Canfield woman told police that she recently received a letter from a bank asking her to verify her personal information for a credit-card application. However, the woman had not applied for the credit card.
The bank's fraud division said the application was filed using the Internet in San Leandro, Calif. Police in San Leandro and Canfield are investigating the report.
Another report states that an Austintown man recently learned that four checks worth a total of $4,283 were cashed in his name without his knowledge. Representatives for the company that issued two of the checks gave the man the names of the people who had cashed the checks.
The company that had issued the other two checks couldn't provide any information to police.
Police also are investigating a report that a check cashed in July at Austintown Pawn Shop was issued by a company that does not exist. The check for $865 was cashed by a Youngstown woman.
An employee for the pawnshop said she received a letter from a bank Monday stating that the company does not exist. The employee also gave police a picture of the woman, 25, of Oakwood Avenue, that was taken when the check was cashed.
The pawnshop's policy is to take a picture of everyone who cashes a check in the shop.