News

Actions

Fake check scam still confuses consumers

Posted at 6:34 PM, Sep 17, 2015
and last updated 2015-09-17 21:34:16-04

You applied for a mystery shopper job, posted classified ad, or posted your resume' online.

Now you've gotten a check in the mail worth a lot of money.

All you have to do is deposit the check, take your cut, and send the rest back to company.

If you're like me, you'll rip it up and move on.

Because after you make the deposit, the check won't clear and you'll be on the hook for the money that you took out.

But for a lot of people the temptation to too much to resist and you have to know for sure that the check is not real.

There are a few ways to do that.

Look at the routing number. The Federal Reserve has a database where you can check the routing numbers to see which bank issued the check.

From there, stop by or call the bank and start asking a lot of questions.

Is account valid? Will the check clear? Who does the account belong to?

If you can't get those answers, then rip up the check and move on.

It can take your bank several days to truly verify whether or not a check is real so, whatever you do, don't withdraw any money from your account.

So remember just because the money is available in your account does not mean the check is good.

Need my help or want to volunteer to help others as part of the Assistance League of Phoenix team, call us at 855-323-1515, find me on Facebook or Twitter.

You can also send me a video of your problem to Joe@abc15.com or sign up for our monthly newsletter here.