Scammers need a good story to get to your wallet. Once they find one that works, they use it again and again. One of their old favorites brings together fake checks and secret shopping, and we’ve been hearing a lot about it lately.
Here’s how it starts. You get a check in the mail with a job offer as a secret shopper. You deposit the check and see the funds in your account a few days later, and the bank even tells you the check has cleared.
Now you’re off to the store you’ve been asked to shop at and report back on, often a Walmart. Your first assignment is to test the in-store money transfer service, like Western Union or MoneyGram, by sending some of the money you deposited. Or you might be told to use the money to buy reloadable cards or gift cards, such as iTunes cards. You’re instructed to send pictures of the cards or to give the numbers on the cards.
Fast forward days or weeks to the unhappy ending. The bank finds out the check you deposited is a fake, which means you’re on the hook for all that money. How does that even happen? Well, banks must make funds from deposited checks available within days, but uncovering a fake check can take weeks. By the time you try to get the money back from the money transfer service, the scammers are long gone, and they’ve taken all the money off the gift cards, too. (By the way, money orders and cashier’s checks can be faked, too.)
The moral of the story? If anyone ever asks you to deposit a check and then wire or send money in any way, you can bet it’s a scam. No matter what they tell you.
Want to avoid the latest rip-offs? Sign up for free scam alerts from the FTC at FTC.gov/Scams.
I recently received a check for over $2600 check/secret shopper. I did not do anything with the check. The bank in Washington State
In reply to I recently received a check by jkatz5303
In reply to I received a check from a by Lucy
In reply to I received a check from a by Lucy
In reply to I just received a $4600 check by RRTorres1951
In reply to Omg, I just fell for this!!!! by Dumb me
In reply to I just got taken as well. by Thomas
In reply to Hey Thomas, by DON'T FALL FOR…
In reply to Thank you for sharing this by Gretch11
In reply to I just received a check with by YoYo 76
In reply to This is still going on. I by JM
In reply to This is still going on. I by JM
In reply to I just received a check with by YoYo 76
In reply to Thank you for sharing this by Gretch11
In reply to I just receive one and by Sisipp37
In reply to I just receive one and by Sisipp37
In reply to I got a check in the mail 2 by Bo
In reply to I got a check in the mail 2 by Bo
In reply to I just receive one and by Sisipp37
In reply to Seriously. Don't spend the by Don't use
In reply to Thank you for sharing this by Gretch11
In reply to Oh my God! Got Th we check by Lily
In reply to Thank you for sharing this by Gretch11
In reply to They won’t once you confront by SunlitUnicorn78
In reply to Thank you for sharing this by Gretch11
In reply to I just got taken as well. by Thomas
In reply to I'm going to throw up, I got by DandereEve
In reply to I also just did this and I am by AJ
In reply to What happened in the end ? by Blawndee81
In reply to I also just did this and I am by AJ
In reply to I just got taken as well. by Thomas
In reply to I just received a check for by Cardio 20
In reply to Did your attorney say to turn by Lmt
In reply to I just received a check for by Cardio 20
In reply to Omg, I just fell for this!!!! by Dumb me
In reply to I think all you can do is by Jswim77
In reply to How do I do that? And to who? by amberrose
In reply to Omg, I just fell for this!!!! by Dumb me
In reply to Yip - Fernando texted me!!!!! by Snoop Dawg
In reply to I just got scammed back in by scammedguychicqgo
In reply to And what happened next. How by Ac
In reply to Me too. Buy giftcards and we by Linda
In reply to Me too. Buy giftcards and we by Linda
In reply to Yip - Fernando texted me!!!!! by Snoop Dawg
In reply to Yip - Fernando texted me!!!!! by Snoop Dawg
In reply to I'm from tampa florida by Kirk
In reply to Omg, I just fell for this!!!! by Dumb me
In reply to To all of you. Sorry but by THINK
In reply to Omg, I just fell for this!!!! by Dumb me
In reply to Omg, I just fell for this!!!! by Dumb me
Pagination