In a fake check scam, a person you don’t know asks you to deposit a check— sometimes for several thousand dollars, and usually for more than you are owed — and send some of the money to another person. The scammers always have a good story to explain why you can’t keep all the money. They might say they need you to cover taxes or fees, you’ll need to buy supplies, or something else.

Fake checks come in many forms. They might look like business or personal checks, cashier’s checks, money orders, or a check delivered electronically. Here’s what you need to know about fake check scams.

Types of Fake Checks Scams

Fake checks are used in many types of scams. Here are some examples:

Mystery shopping. Scammers pretend to hire people as mystery shoppers and tell them their first assignment is to evaluate a retailer that sells gift cards, money orders, or a money transfer service, like Western Union or MoneyGram. The shopper gets a check with instructions to deposit it in a personal bank account and wire it to someone else. But once the money is wired, the person on the other end can disappear.

Mobile check deposit is a mobile banking tool that allows you to deposit checks to your bank account using your phone or mobile device. Instead of depositing checks at the ATM, your bank’s drive. Mobile Check Deposits are subject to verification and not available for immediate withdrawal. Other restrictions apply. In the Mobile Banking app, select Deposit Checks, then Help for details, and other terms and conditions. Message and data rates may apply. Back to content. Deposit Check New Deposit 3. Select the account to which you wish to deposit, enter the amount, and tap 'Take a check photo'. Then, use our automatic check capture feature to take photos of both the front and back sides of your check.

Personal assistants. People apply online and get hired as personal assistants. They get a check and are told to use the money to buy gift cards or to buy equipment or supplies for their new client. Once the scammers get the gift card PIN numbers, they use them instantly, leaving the “personal assistant” without the money when the bank figures out the check is bad.

Car wrap decals. People interested in car wrap advertising are told to deposit checks and send money to decal installers — who don’t exist.

Claiming prizes. Sweepstakes “winners” are given checks and told to send money to cover taxes, shipping and handling charges, or processing fees. But that’s not how legitimate sweepstakes work.
Overpayments.People buying something from you online “accidentally” send a check for too much and ask you to refund the balance.

Why Do These Scams Work?

Deposit Check Online Bank Of America

These scams work because fake checks generally look just like real checks, even to bank employees. They are often printed with the names and addresses of legitimate financial institutions. They may even be real checks written on bank accounts that belong to identity theft victims. It can take weeks for a bank to figure out that the check is a fake.

How To Make A Mobile Deposit

Fake Checks and Your Bank

By law, banks have to make deposited funds available quickly, usually within two days. 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 can take weeks to be discovered and untangled. By that time, the scammer has any money you sent, and you’re stuck paying the money back to the bank.

Your best bet: Don’t rely on money from a check unless you know and trust the person you’re dealing with.

How to Avoid a Fake Check Scam

Never use money from a check to send gift cards, money orders, or wire money to strangers or someone you just met. Many scammers demand that you send money through money transfer services like Western Union or MoneyGram, or buy gift cards and send them the PIN numbers. Once you wire money, or give someone the gift card PINs, it is like giving someone cash. It’s almost impossible to get it back.

Toss offers that ask you to pay for a prize. If it’s free, you shouldn’t have to pay to get it.

Don’t accept a check for more than the selling price. You can bet it’s a scam.

What to Do If You Sent Money to a Scammer

Gift cards are for gifts, not payments. Anyone who demands payment by gift card is always a scammer. If you paid a scammer with a gift card, tell the company that issued the card right away. When you contact the company, tell them the gift card was used in a scam. Ask them if they can refund your money. If you act quickly enough, the company might be able to get your money back. Also, tell the store where you bought the gift card as soon as possible.

Here is a list of gift cards that scammers often use — with information to help report a scam. If the card you used is not on this list, you might find the gift card company’s contact information on the card itself, or you might need to do some research online.

If you wired money to a scammer, call the money transfer company immediately to report the fraud and file a complaint. You can reach the complaint department of MoneyGram at 1-800-MONEYGRAM (1-800-666-3947) or Western Union at 1-800-325-6000. Ask for the money transfer to be reversed. It’s unlikely to happen, but it’s important to ask.

If you paid a scammer with a money order, contact the company that issued the money order right away to see if you can stop payment. Also, try to stop delivery of the money order: if you sent it by U.S. mail, contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455. Otherwise, contact whatever delivery service you used as soon as possible.

Where to Report Fraud

If you think you’ve been targeted by a fake check scam, report it to:

The Federal Trade Commission
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Your state Attorney General

Fake Check Scams Infographic

How it works:

Process all types of U.S. checks, drawn on any bank or credit union that is a Federal Reserve member, including personal checks, business checks, government checks and warrants, money orders and traveler's checks over the Internet. Using check truncation, the paper checks never leave your office and, in fact, should be destroyed after the successful deposit of funds into your bank.

The use of electronic check conversion - also known as Check 21, Accounts Receivable Check (ARC), Point of Purchase (POP), or Back Office Conversion (BOC) in banking terms - is among the fastest growing types of ACH applications due to its enormous benefits. Using our proprietary Internet-based Back office conversion 'Remote Deposit Capture' software and check scanning reader, you can scan conventional paper checks and transform them into an electronic check deposit. The software also stores the check data and check images in a database for future research and retrieval, re-submission of NSF checks and more.

You accept many checks each month from customers. Currently, you would have to look up each customer account, apply the payment to the account, stamp the check for deposit, create a deposit slip, drive to the bank, stand in a long line and make the deposit. On top of this, your bank will typically charge an 'item deposit fee' for every check you deposit. Too time consuming and too expensive!