How Not to Fall for Fake Check Scams

An in-depth study by Better Business Bureau finds that, while consumers may write fewer checks in this era of online banking, fake check scams are on the rise.

Fake checks are used in a variety of frauds, from employment scams, prize/sweepstakes fraud, and romance scams.

In all cases, victims deposit the check and send money back to scammers. BBB warns consumers to be on guard against these serious and pervasive frauds and their perpetrators.

Fake check fraud is a huge problem. Complaints to regulatory agencies and consumer watchdog groups doubled over the last three years and there have even been 12 reports in Connecticut since January of 2017. One consumer claimed to have lost over $2,500 in an employment based job scam.

Scammers often succeed because consumers don’t realize:

  • Crediting a bank account does not mean the cashed check is valid. Federal banking rules require that when someone deposits a check into an account, the bank must make the funds available within a day or two. Even when a check is credited to an account, it does not mean the check is good. A week or so later, if the check bounces, the bank will want the money back. Consumers, not the fraudsters, will be on the hook for the funds plus any bounce check fees at your bank.
  • Cashier’s checks and postal money orders can be forged. A cashier’s check is a check guaranteed by a bank, drawn on the bank’s own funds and signed by a cashier. If a person deposits a cashier’s check, the person’s bank must credit the account by the next day. The same holds true for postal money orders. Scammers use cashier’s checks and postal money orders because many people don’t realize they can be forged.

Fake checks were involved in 7 percent of all complaints filed with BBB’s Scam Tracker. Based on complaint data trends, the study suggests that there may be over 500,000 victims of counterfeit checks in 2017.

The study found the fraud affects victims of all ages and income levels, but consumers between 20-29 reported being victimized by the scam more than consumers of any other age range.

A college student from St. Louis lost hundreds of dollars in a mystery shopper scam using a fake check. After responding to a very professional-looking online job listing for a mystery shopper, he was sent a cashier’s check for almost $2,000. Per instructions, he deposited the check, “mystery shopped” several businesses, and sent $885 to two addresses. His bank informed him later that the $2,000 check was not valid, and he would have to repay the $885 he sent. Although he was able to set up a payment plan to repay it, the loss has been difficult for the local student.

Nigerian gangs appear to be behind most of this fraud, often using romance fraud victims and other “money mules” to receive money from victims. Many fake checks and money orders are shipped to the U.S. from Nigeria.

What to do if you have deposited a fake check into your account:

Victims who are seniors or other vulnerable adults may be able to obtain help through Adult Protective Services, which has offices in every state and many counties. Find a local office at www.elderjustice.gov.

The investigative study– “Don’t Cash That Check: Better Business Bureau Study Shows How Fake Check Scams Bait Consumers” –looks at how fake checks dupe consumers. It digs into the scope of the problem, who is behind it, and the need for law enforcement and consumer education to address the issue. Read the complete report here.

The report recommends:

  • Organizations such as BBB and regulatory agencies should do more to provide fake check fraud prevention education.
  • With wide-scale use of money mules and others to assist in frauds, it would be useful for law enforcement agencies to work collaboratively to both identify these individuals and to take action to ensure that they end these activities.
  • Investigative agencies may need more resources to effectively prosecute fake checks and other widespread frauds.
  • Continued law enforcement coordination and training with enforcement counterparts in Nigeria and elsewhere should remain important and should be strengthened.
  • Banks and financial institutions might consider more collective efforts to educate their customers about fake check frauds.