Only scammers will ask you to pay to collect a “free” prize. Toss offers that ask you to pay for a prize. If it’s free, you shouldn’t have to pay to get it.Once you do, it’s like you’ve given them cash. Never use money from a check to send gift cards, money orders, cryptocurrency, or to wire money to anyone who asks you to. Many scammers demand that you buy gift cards and send them the PIN numbers, buy cryptocurrency and transfer it to them, or send money through wire transfer services like Western Union or MoneyGram.Your best bet: Don’t rely on money from a check unless you know and trust the person you’re dealing with. By that time, the scammer has any money you sent, and you’re stuck paying the money back to the bank. Fake checks can take weeks to be discovered and untangled. When the funds are made available in your account, the bank may say the check has “cleared,” but that doesn’t mean it’s a good check. Fake Checks and Your Bankīy law, banks have to make deposited funds available quickly, usually within two days. It can take weeks for a bank to figure out that the check is a fake. They may even be real checks written on bank accounts that belong to someone whose identity has been stolen. They are often printed with the names and addresses of legitimate financial institutions. These scams work because fake checks generally look just like real checks, even to bank employees. People buying something from you online ,“accidentally” send a check for too much, and ask you to refund the balance. But that’s not how legitimate sweepstakes work - and you’ll be out any money you send. They tell you to send them money to cover taxes, shipping and handling charges, or processing fees. A sweepstakes says you’ve won and gives you a check. But it’s a scam, the installers aren’t real, and now your money is gone. The company tells you to deposit a check and then send money to decal installers. You respond to an offer for car wrap advertising. But once you do, the money is gone and the so-called “employer” can disappear, too. You get a check with instructions to deposit it in a personal bank account and wire some of the money to someone else. They tell you that your first assignment is to evaluate a retailer that sells gift cards, money orders, or a wire transfer service like Western Union or MoneyGram. Scammers pretend to hire you as a mystery shopper. Lots of scammers use fake checks to get your money. They might say they need you to cover taxes or fees for a prize, to buy supplies for a job, to send back money they overpaid, or something else. They always have a good story to explain why you can’t keep all the money. They tell you to send some of the money back to them or to another person. It’s usually for more than they owe you, and it’s sometimes for several thousand dollars. In a fake check scam, a person you don’t know asks you to deposit a check. What To Do If You Sent Money to a Scammer.Here’s what to know about fake check scams. Identity Theft and Online Security Show/hide Identity Theft and Online Security menu itemsįake checks might look like business or personal checks, cashier’s checks, money orders, or a check delivered electronically.Unwanted Calls, Emails, and Texts Show/hide Unwanted Calls, Emails, and Texts menu items.Money-Making Opportunities and Investments.Jobs and Making Money Show/hide Jobs and Making Money menu items.Credit, Loans, and Debt Show/hide Credit, Loans, and Debt menu items.Shopping and Donating Show/hide Shopping and Donating menu items.
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