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Seminar focuses on safeguarding businesses Several businesspeople and in- terested persons in the community were treated to helpful and infor- mative tips on crime prevention last Wednesday at a Business Security Seminar. Information such as bum che- ques, couterfeiting and credit card fraud was provided by keynote speakers Scott Atkinson, with the OPP in Nipigon, Ken Baker, with the Thunder Bay Police Force and Crimestoppers and Rick Ferrari, community services officer from Thunder Bay. Cheques, credit cards, counterfeiting Scott Atkinson with the Nipigon detachment of the OPP and the Thunder Bay District Crime Unit, told the group that business people operating in our tourist-like area are good targets for the above type of crimes. He recounted an incident when a random check was made on a vehicle passing through this area. The check proved to determine that the vehicle was stolen and was be- ing driven by the No.. 2 counterfeiter in North America. Atkinson called these types of crimes "brain games" and "non- violent'? where the culprit usually wears a Suit. Credit cards Atkinson said that 66 per cent of all Canadians own credit cards- "a lot are stolen," he said. In 1980-81, charges on credit cards totalled $10.6 billion in Canada- in 1985-86, there was a 20 per cent increase to $12 billion, said Atkinson. In the United States, ripoffs on credit cards amounted to about $3 billion and anything under $50,000 won't even be investigated. The record amount used on a stolen card in Canada is $149,000, Atkin- son said. He also recounted a scheme in use where hooligans will approach people on the street and offer them money to use their cards. The criminals tell the person to wait one day then report the card stolen. "It's an easy way to make a fast $1,000," Atkinson said. Our area near border Atkinson told the group 'that counterfeiters can be so good that there was one series of bills that even went through the bank and they still don't know who did it. He said because this area is on the circle route and so close to the American border, business people here can be "easily duped" by counterfeit American money. Atkinson handed out a pamphlet that describes how one can tell if a banknote is the real McCoy. He described: planchettes, which are small green disks ran- domly distributed in the note (seen easier if the bill is held to the light); the printing which is raised and dif- ficult to duplicate; and the fine detail of real notes. Cheques Atkinson said that cheques are the second-most common way of paying tor things. In 1980, he said, 1.2 billion cheques were issued in Yo Smokey! There were plenty of students present to bear witness to a visit by Smokey the Bear last week. Smokey visited elementary schools in the area to inform the students about the dangers of fire and how to prevent them. With Smokey is James Bull, Unicrew member of the MNR, left, and Al Turner from the MNR Preven- tion Office, Terrace Bay District. Another photo on page 11. Canada which totalled $3.9 trillion. Cheques are a good '"'subject for bad guys to steal or forge," he said, Crimestoppers Ken Baker, a 16-year veteran of the Thunder Bay Police Force and a major force behind Crimestop- pers, played a video for those assembled on Crimestoppers- Crimestoppers' purpose is to help to solve crimes with the help of the police and the media. Crimestoppers enlists the aid of re-enactments of crimes which are shown on television and offer a reward for any information. One crime that was re-enacted resulted in the confession of the culprits within 24 hours. As a result of Crimestoppers, a city in the United States. that was in the top five worst cities for crime is not even in the top 75 now. One of the major reasons why the program works so well is because people who provide infor- continued from page 1 This Week in Fi Red Alert This is a term used by the Ministry of Natural Resources to indicate a state of readiness for forest fire suppression. Crews that are assigned this classification must be immediate- ly available for intial attack. The extremely dry weather this year finds crews being regularly assigned this significant position on a daily basis. The normal average rainfall for this year is well below the an- ticipated acceptable levels. The forest is extremely dry and every precaution will be practised to eliminate fire starts. fast week there three fire starts in this district. The first two fires were isolated in their insipient stage when they. were reported as grass burning adjacent to the Ter- rac Bay municipal boundary. Children seen in this area were believed to have started these fires. They obviously don't know the consequences of their actions. Fire three, which is still under investigation occured at | Otter Lake which is located two miles northwest of camp 70 in the Manitouwadge area. The fire was reported by a nor- thwest timber employee and inital attack by MNR fire crews and nor- thwest timber employees found the fire spreading from its source to cut piled timber. A compliment of equipment was requisitioned and see fire page 6