Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) investigators are charging a Gainesville man with printing fictitious checks in connection to a $1,200 “live check.”
Osvaldo Garcia, 47, turned himself in at the Hall County Jail on Monday afternoon, to face the felony charge.
A sheriff’s office spokesman said investigation began when deputies responded to a call about the crime last November. The victim, 52, had been receiving unexpected calls from a creditor for no known reason. The preliminary investigation revealed that Garcia signed and cashed a “live check,” which was in the victim’s name.
“A live check is a preapproved or ‘prescreened’ loan offer that you did not apply for,” the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says on its website. “It is usually sent in the mail, and if you cash or deposit the check you are bound by its loan terms.”
The victim was unaware of the crime until contacted by the creditor, who was seeking payment for the loan. The spokesman said Garcia endorsed and cashed the live check on April 23, 2024.
Garcia posted a $5,700 bond and was released from the Hall County Jail on Monday evening.”