What Are Common Types of Check Scams?
Any type of false claim or story set up by a scammer that results in you processing a fake check or wiring money is considered a check scam. However, the most common types of check scams to be aware of are: • Work-from-Home Scams. Work-from-home scams often advertise that you can make a healthy living doing a few hours of simple work a day from the comfort of your home. The scammer asks you to deposit a check or money order into your personal bank account, to keep the “salaried” portion for yourself, and to wire the remaining balance back to the company’s “headquarters.” When the checks prove to be bad, the bank holds you accountable. • Secret-Shopper Scams. When you sign up for a secret-shopper scam, you’ll usually be asked to test a product or financial service for quality. The scammer will send you a bad check with “funds” to use for performing a specified consumer activity. When you’re done, you are asked to wire the remaining funds back to the company, just as in a work-from-home
