Monday, February 14, 2011
Oak Park business official credits viral media for spotlighting local scam.
Police have arrested a man they say is the coupon fraudster described as an Owen Wilson look-alike "without the crooked nose." Richard Marciss, 38, of Lyons, was charged with theft and attempted theft after he was identified as the con man trading phony coupons for real discounts at Oak Park stores, police said. "With that description, everyone was on the lookout," said Pat Zubak, director of the Downtown Oak Park business association. Zubak said she was skeptical of the initial description — and the way it rocketed around the Web, appearing locally on Gapers Block and nationally on Huffington Post, among other sites — but the odd description helped raise awareness of the local scam. "It seemed like everywhere I went around town, people …
Thursday, January 27, 2011
A roundup of the region's major developments for Thursday, Jan. 27.
Here are the top stories from Patch sites in your area: Owen Wilson Look-Alike Wanted in Coupon Fraud Skokie Police Assist in High-Speed Taxi Chase Morton Grove Police Spot Runaway Taxi; Jumpstart High-Speed Chase Police Blotter: Green Bay Packer's Flag Burned, 150K Coin Collection Missing H.S. Hoop Rivals Team Up at Madison
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
In at least one instance, witnesses report imposter resembles sandy-haired actor.
Business owners and police in Oak Park are on the lookout for an imposter faking his way into discounts by redeeming bogus shopping certificates. He may not be hard to spot. In a Jan. 15 incident at the Lake Theatre, the man traded in photocopied certificates depicting $10 coupons later determined to be fakes, police said. Witnesses told police the man looked like "Owen Wilson without the crooked nose." Since then at least four other Oak Park businesses have reported receiving the fake coupons, which are part of a popular Downtown Oak Park holiday promotion where shoppers are encouraged to make purchases from local stores, then redeem those receipts for up to $50 in coupons at other local businesses. Pat Zubak, executive of Downtown Oak …
George Slefo
1:15 pm on Wednesday, January 26, 2011
ha! more ›