Question:
I am still a little confused about check fraud. Could someone be very clear on explaining it?
2009-08-28 09:55:45 UTC
A few questions I have are:

How exactly do you get in trouble for check fraud if you are depositing a check into your account. Arent you the one getting money? Wouldn't you get in trouble only if you take money out of your account in which the deposit doesn't cover?

A man has hired me to be a nanny and his company is having a check made out for me prior to his move down here. We have already set up an interview to meet in person when he gets here. His company is paying for his move, as well as the help needed for children. Sound legit? He wants to meet me first before hiring/giving me the check.

How do you get him or his "company" in trouble if the check is bogus?

And last, can a bank tell (even when it's a headquarters bank) if the check is fraud before you deposit it? Should you wait a minute before depositing it? Could I try to deposit it at Wal-Mart (for example) and get cash back right away?
Nine answers:
2009-08-28 12:37:07 UTC
Whether a check is a cashiers check, bank draft, company check, or personal check, the check can be bogus.



Even though the bank may put a hold on the check for 5 days, after that time it still does not mean the check is not bogus. It could take three weeks or longer to be certain that a check is not bogus.



Sometimes a scam artist will use a legitimate account number that belongs to another company or person on the check. The check may initially clear because there is sufficient funds in that account to pay for the check. However, when the company or person realizes that they did not write the check and notifies their bank, the check will bounce.



Generally when a check bounces, the bank will demand immediate repayment. If you can't immediately repay the amount, the bank may close your account and report you to Chex Systems making it impossible to open another account at any bank for 5 years. I've even heard of banks closing accounts and reporting people to Chex Systems even if they repay the amount immediately believing that the person was involved in the check fraud.



If for some reason the check issued is more than agreed upon (this never happens with a legitimate company) and requests money back, this is a scam.



If there appears to be something fishy about the deal, first look up the company phone number on the internet (do not use the phone number on the check). Then call the company about the check to see if it is legitimate.



Then always talk to the bank branch manager about the check to get his advice before depositing the check. At least this will likely keep you from getting too deeply into trouble if the check is bogus. At least he will be able to analyze the situation, look for watermarks on the check, and understand your situation if the check is bogus.



Usually when a scam occurs, you never get to meet the scam artist in person. He'll probably have some excuse why he couldn't make the appointment.
2016-04-08 20:30:58 UTC
They believe that Mary, as a fully human being, can function as intercessor for them, because she will feel human sympathy, empathy, and understanding. The intercessory role started simply because Mary was an emotionally accessible figure, as a human mother. She was easy for people to understand, they could feel close to her in a way that was precluded by all the complex and technical theological discussions of Jesus's human and divine nature, the Trinity, and so forth. Grasping this, the early Church promoted Mary and her intercessory role, until she took on enormous importance. She's not a goddess (though some of the early devotion was possibly transferred from pagan goddess worship), she is not divine, she is simply the most fully human face of Christianity. It was a practical and pragmatic development, and it's important to Roman Catholics. However, the devotion to Mary was one of the things that the Protestant movement criticized and that they more or less abandoned. Such "Mariolatry," they felt, was dangerous and it was indeed non-scriptural.
efflandt
2009-08-28 11:54:40 UTC
What makes me suspicious is that you say his company is paying for his move, as well as the help needed for his children. If he is giving you that whole check and wants you to give or wire someone part of it, run don't walk, away from that deal as fast as you can.



Any time someone gives you a check and wants you to pay someone part of it, that is a very common scam. The check may initially appear to clear, but then it will eventually bounce. And you will be out the entire amount of the check.
2009-08-28 11:48:02 UTC
If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Just call and tell them you decided against it. Better to be safe than sorry later.
rckfrom1966
2009-08-28 10:11:39 UTC
Check fraud is when you try to cash a check from an account that doesn't exist. By you being the one to deposit the check, the bank assumes you are trying to defraud them out of the amount of the check. They don't know if you know the check is phony.



Contact the bank, preferably in person, and explain your situation. Give them all the details you have about the guy and have them investigate.



The bank really doesn't have any way of knowing about the check's validity until it gets information back from the issuing bank, so the bank assumes the check is real and will cash it. I suggest you DO NOT cash a check that you know is fraudulent, because any assumption of innocence about the validity of the check is gone, and you will be prosecuted.
bdancer222
2009-08-28 10:11:11 UTC
First, it sounds like you are already suspicious. There are many bogus check scams. They all seem to involve someone from out of town/country who will send you a check.



Somewhere along the line, the check gets made out for a lot more money. So they want you to cash the check, keep an extra amount, and wire money somewhere. About a month or so later the check bounces.



The problem is the check can be drawn on a real bank account. So after a couple weeks, it would clear. But since the check is a forgery, the account owner will catch it and the check will come bouncing back.



If you do take the check, put it in your bank and leave it there. If the check is bogus,the bank will just take the money out of your account. If you withdraw the funds, you will be in trouble.
saved_astronaut
2009-08-28 10:10:33 UTC
i got 2 bogus checks that turned out 2 have fraudulent accts. my bank checked in2 this & thank GOD they knew me!!! my buddies became suspicious & checked it out & in their investigation, the other bank from which the checks came from said the accts were fraudulent accts. YES they CAN deposit funds in2 yer acct, but there's usually about a 10-14 day waiting period (approx) B4 the check actually clears as good or bad. what my buddies told me is that if they cashed the checks & they came back bad, that i'd have 2 return all that $$$ 2 the bank. what would also happen is if i spent that $$$ & the check came back bad then i'd also not only B in debt 4 the $$$ but the fees would also hit. i don't c where the bank could come after the recipient when really the sender is the 1 they should go after
2009-08-28 10:04:49 UTC
This has all the hallmarks of an advance fee SCAM.



After he sends you the check, he'll suddenly have an emergency and ask you to send him the money back. Keeping $500 for you time and trouble of course.



Then the check bounces and the bank wants FULL restitution. Sometimes the check is stolen or written on an account that isn't the scammer's--these can take weeks to months to bounce. Cashing it at Wal-mart won't move the risk to Wal-mart. They'll just sue you.
Wayne Z
2009-08-28 10:04:19 UTC
The fake checks these days look perfectly real so no teller would be able to tell if it is fake or not.



If you cash it at a Wal-Mart and it bounces, the Wal-Mart will come after you first.



If he actually meets you in person, that is a good sign. But.....if for some reason he cancels everything after you receive the check and wants the money sent back to him via Western Union or MoneyGram, then it is a SCAM.



On another matter, nannies are considered household employees and should be treated as employees for tax purposes with tax withheld and unemployment taxes paid by the employer.


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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