Online Calculator | Fake Check Scams

Fake Check Scams

Getting a handle on check cashing fraud has been something that authorities have had trouble doing, as this crime has reached epidemic proportions. With the advancement of copy machines it is easy for a dishonest person to alter or create a check look-alike and then make copies that looks authentic. This problem manifests itself primarily on ad websites, in at-home businesses, and when contact is made internationally through the internet.

It’s not that hard to identify check chasing fraud; for the most part, a con artist will just ask someone to deposit a check for them in their own banking account so that they can forward something through Western Union and get money that way. You’ll often see this disguised as an item for sale or a job that you perform from home.

For the most part, you can’t really tell it’s a fake check until the bank can verify it to be counterfeit, which doesn’t happen until it’s deposited, and you can’t contact the other person. Since international funds often get held for a long while, you can deposit a number of checks and withdraw cash without anyone being the wiser until the week or so it takes to verify the check.

Those who defraud others using bank accounts are very creative when it comes to accessing information. Once money is sent through a money transfer site, much personal information is shared which can be utilized to create counterfeit forms of identification as well as banking information which can be used to clean out an account.

As we touched on earlier, these scam artists like to utilize work at home ads to lure their prey. One of these fake work at home jobs may require an individual to deposit international company checks, keep your payment of 10% for your pay, and send the rest of the cash back to the company. There are even those that label themselves after reputable businesses, such as WalMart, INC., which isn’t the proper name of that company. A few other popular channels for contact include Careerbuilder.com, Gadgets Ltd., as well as Craiglist so trust nothing unless it has been checked out thoroughly.

Check fraud is used all too often today online. One of the scams regarding check cashing has occurred with people being contacted and told they have won, or come into, a large amount of money. They are told that a money order or cashier’s check will be sent for more than the amount they are to receive. All they need to do is return the excess cash through a money transfer, right away.

All this does is give the scammer the personal information that you provide on your bank info through the wire transfer service, this allowing them to empty your accounts; otherwise, they may just be ripping you off for the money you take out of your account. That’s why it’s important to use telephone look up services such as ip-searching.info/12/index.htm when they contact you by phone in order to be able to verify if the caller or check writer is really who he or she claims.

There is an agency known as World Law Direct, who handle cases of international check cashing fraud, so if you fear that you may be a victim of this crime, you may contact this unit, but their response time may be up to several years. When all is said and done, you may never see that money again.

Filed Under Online Calculator | Leave a Comment

Tagged With , , ,

Comments

Leave a Reply