FREE MONEY OR FAKE CHECK? DON’T FALL FOR IT!
A Borough resident reported that they were the victim of an $8,000.00 fake check scam that they are now responsible to repay their bank. By the time the check was cashed and found to be fake by the bank the criminals already had their money. The victim in this case had to take out a loan to repay the Bank. The same victim got a Publishers Clearing House letter and check which was also a scam but they did not fall for it.
It should be obvious: Receive an unexpected check for a lottery you never entered, a loan you never asked for and it's probably not worth the paper it's printed on. Why would someone send you “free money” or a check to cash when they could do it themselves?
Usually it works like this: You're instructed to deposit the check and then forward some portion of the deposit elsewhere, typically by wire transfer, as advance fees that will allow you to collect a jackpot.
By the time your bank discovers the check is fake, which can take up to two weeks, the scammers have gotten their forwarded loot, and you're on the hook for funds drawn from that deposit.
Remember: If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. Go to https://www.consumer.ftc.gov for more information on frauds.
