There are so many big corporation identities stolen and placed on fake checks in a new scam which rips of
consumers. Average victim of this type of scams loses from $3,000 - $4,000 according to the national Consumers League (NCL). Not only consumers are the usual victims but reputations of legitimate corporations are not exempted.
A senior executive with Publisher''s Clearing House said, "if you have received what seems to be a legitimate
check with a request to send a
portion of that check back, STOP immediately."
This type of scam comes in several versions giving us the following scenarios:
1. A potential victim gets an unexpected check from what it seems to be a legal source in which check is either an award or a prize, or a lottery. The "lucky winner" is then
instructed to deposit the check into a personal account then requests the victim to send back a portion of the amount to cover up for fees, tax, etc... Once the money is sent, the
bank discovers the check is a fake one.
2. An item being sold online such as in Ebay by a person will fall as victim when a person contacts the seller to pay the item by check. The catch: The person sends a check amounting to more than the item''s price and requests the seller to give the extra money back. Once the seller gives in to the deal later learns the check is fake.
3. Scammers also recruit so-called secret shoppers in whom each is sent a check and instructed to cash it and wire back most of the amount to the sender. They are also instructed to keep a portion of the amount as a payment for their performance. The check of course, is a bogus.
Such swindlers are on the rise. The NCL says that from 2005 - 2006, fake check scams shots from 5th place to first on the list of the most common telemarketing scams.
How To Protect Yourself:
> Ignore any offers from sources that asks you to pay fees, taxes, or any charges to claim a prize.
>If selling item online, never accept a check worth more than amount of the item sold.
>If accepting payment by check, be sure it comes drawn from a local bank, then lets you personally verify the check''s validity.
>And remember, if something seems too good to be true, most likely it is.
:)