This isn’t necessarily a new scam, but it has found renewed legs in these difficult times. Here is how it works.
Out of the blue you will get a check that looks official like a cashiers check, money order, certified check, etc. The person sending it to you will either send you the check with a job offer like a work from home or to be a secret shopper. The fake check may also come from someone wanting to buy something you might have posted on Craiglist.
The crooks will ask you to deposit the check and tell you that the check was for more than they should have sent you. They then ask you to send the difference back via wire transfer, typically to an out of the country bank.
By the time the fake check is discovered you are out the money you wired out of your bank account and you will need to refund the bank all the money you may have spent from the fake check.
Just because a check look guaranteed, it is not. Paper checks can be easily forged and are only guaranteed when honored by the bank they are drawn on.
Be careful, if an offer sounds too good to be true, guess what?
