For years, Faye Adams had paid her utility bills through the mail.
The Fayetteville widow, 75, admits she's not the greatest with technology. Now, she is in the hole hundreds of dollars as a result of a suspect cashing money orders under their name instead.
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Adams contacted 5 On Your Side for help, after an unknown man allegedly stole and forged a signature on two money orders from her mail, cashing a total of $800 that was meant to pay her utility bills.
Adams, who is on a fixed income, says she is out that $800 in addition to the money she still had to pay late to the utility companies.
Fayetteville Police Department confirmed Adams' narrative, saying detectives are in fact searching for an individual named Jacob Helton, who is suspected of stealing Adams' money. He is charged with two counts each of uttering forged paper and obtaining property by false pretenses. Those are both Class I felonies.
A spokesperson for Western Union said they were sorry to hear about Adams' experience.
"Western Union takes consumer protection seriously, and our team will engage directly with the customer to review the matter," they added.
"A Burden" | Forgery claim denied
Detective J Casady with the Fayetteville Police Department called Adams' case a "crime of opportunity."
"If I if I go through a subdivision at night and I pull, you know, I check everybody's mailboxes, I may check 100 houses. I may get 99 nothing, but then I get the one," Casady said.
In his investigation, he found that the person who cashed Adams' checks did so at two local Wal-Marts.
Despite the criminal investigation this month, Western Union informed Adams they would deny her claim and she would not be refunded the amount lost to the suspect. She submitted paperwork including a police report, and says she was surprised to ultimately be denied.
"Please note that submitting the required documents did not guarantee reimbursement," reads the response from Western Union.
5 On Your Side asked a spokesperson for Western Union:
What goes into the process in evaluating forgery claims?
- What goes into the process in evaluating forgery claims?
- What were the elements present in Adams' claim for why they may have been denied?
- Given there is law enforcement confirmation of an active investigation and arrest warrants related to this matter, may Western Union reconsider this claim?
WRAL is awaiting further response from the company.