Va. Beach police create Web site for scam alerts

[PapoZalsa]

Virginia Beach residents can now learn how to avoid scams with the click of a mouse.

The police department announced today that it has launched a Web site with information on fraud and economic crimes trends in Virginia Beach. The Web site, Police | Current Fraud Alerts, was an initiative by detectives in the department’s Economic Crime Unit. The goal is to “help citizens protect themselves from potential scammers and identify theft,” according to a news release.

Three alerts are currently posted, warning consumers about internet auction fraud, real estate scams and fraud involving bogus checks, lottery checks and money orders. Information will soon be added about other scams, financial crime trends and how to avoid them, according to the release.

The number of fraud cases reported to police in Virginia Beach declined 0.8 percent last year over 2008, according to the police department's online reporting system. There were 1,679 fraud cases in 2008 and 1,666 in 2009, but those numbers do not inlcude all economic crimes