Bad Checks Circulating In St. Augustine Area

The St. Augustine Police Department has learned that three checks drawn on a closed account were written and accepted, or presented at three locations in the St. Augustine area.

The checks were drawn against a Compass Bank account in the name of Tiffany Gibbs of Jacksonville, Fla. In at least one case, the check was accepted and more than $1,000 worth of merchandise was fraudulently obtained.

The suspect is Tiffany Gibbs, with a last known address in Jacksonville. She has been described as a medium to large build African-American female, about 5foot 7 inches tall.

Gibbs will be charged on the fraudulent checks case. She also has a current warrant for her arrest on unrelated charges.

If a business owner is presented with a check drawn from a Compass Bank with an account number ending in 7619, please be aware the account has been closed and contact the local law enforcement agency immediately.

What are people saying about mortgages today:

Rates on 30-year mortgages edged down last week to a seven-month low. Mortgage-giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages fell to 6.3 percent, down slightly from 6.31 percent two weeks ago. It put rates at the lowest level since they were at 6.24 percent the first week of March.

Bank of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, Territorial Savings Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgages all cut their 30-year mortgage rates to 5.75 percent this week.

Most people think of a mortgage as a means to an end. After all, you buy a house, not a home loan. But a mortgage is much more than the path to homeownership. It is a financial instrument that must be managed, just like any other financial investment.