Berea police Detective Charles Gute said the crimes now under investigation locally were committed in the same manner but involved accounts at several different banks. Gute said all of the banks have either refunded the money to the victims or promised to do so. We've looked at the victims to see if there is any common ground, but there doesn't seem to be, Gute said. It seems there is just a lot of this type of crime being committed. We just happen to have three cases at the same time.
Police have no suspects.
Two days later, police said, someone called the same bank to report that the Berea man's ATM card had been lost. According to a report, the caller requested a new card be issued to the Boston address, and one was sent there. But the card-holder was not in Boston, police said. He never moved out of Berea. The victim didn't find out about the ruse until May 9, when one of his personal checks bounced.