Fake Catalina Conservancy Scam

Newport Beach Police Department
Press Release
870 Santa Barbara Dr., Newport Beach, CA 92660
For further information, please contact:

Name: Sergeant Evan Sailor Telephone: (949) 644-3662
E-mail: esailor@nbpd.org

Date of Release: March 14, 2008 Time of Release: 1:00 p.m.

Identity Theft Alert

Suspect: Trevor Graham Hammonds, Male White, 36 years old, Newport Beach
Resident

On February 13, 2008, Newport Beach Police Detectives arrested Trevor Hammonds for 484G PC – Illegal Use of a Credit Card. Detectives had learned that Hammonds was renting an apartment in Newport Beach through fraudulent means. He was paying his rent by providing valid credit card account numbers of unsuspecting victims as payment. Since his arrest, Detectives have been attempting to discover where and how Hammonds obtained his victim’s personal credit information.

Detectives recently discovered that Hammonds had created a website for the “Catalina Conservancy Divers” Avalon Harbor Cleanup, www.catalinaconservancy.org in 2005. Through 2005 and 2006, Hammonds was able to obtain unsuspecting victim’s names and credit card numbers when they made online donations to the Conservancy. Since that time, he has been using victim’s names and valid credit card account information to make online purchases and pay for personal items. Detectives have identified a total of 816 possible victim credit profiles in the possession of Hammonds. Hammonds is currently being housed at the Orange County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail. The Catalina Conservancy Divers is a victim of Hammonds scheme and is not involved in any manner.

If you registered to this site and/or made an online donation to the Catalina Conservancy Divers during 2005 or 2006, please check your credit profile and account records. If you believe you have been the victim of a crime, please notify your bank immediately to close your account(s) and prevent any further crimes from occurring. In addition, contact the Newport Beach Police Department in order to report your crime. This can be done by contacting Investigator Bob Watts at (800) 550-NBPD or (949) 644-3799.

For information in regards to identity theft and associated crimes, you can go to the Police Department’s web site at www.nbpd.org. You may also place a “Fraud” alert on your personal credit report by contacting one of the three major credit reporting agencies listed below:


Equifax www.equifax.com
• Fraud Alert (800) 525-6285
• Credit Report (800) 685-1111

Experian www.experian.com
• Fraud Alert (888) 397-3742
• Credit Report (800) 360-7540

Trans Union www.transunion.com
• Fraud Alert (800) 680-7289
• Credit Report (800) 888-4213




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Just to make sure it is clear... neither the Catalina Conservancy (of whjich I am a former V.P.) nor the Catalina Conservancy Divers (CCD) were involved in the perpetration of this identity theft fraud. The alleged bad guy is Trevor Hammonds.