The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, act as legal, financial or credit advice; instead, it is for general informational purposes only. Information on this website may not be current. This website may contain links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader, user or browser; we do not recommend or endorse the contents of any third-party sites. Readers of this website should contact their attorney, accountant or credit counselor to obtain advice with respect to their particular situation. No reader, user, or browser of this site should act or not act on the basis of information on this site. Always seek personal legal, financial or credit advice for your relevant jurisdiction. Only your individual attorney or advisor can provide assurances that the information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation. Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client or fiduciary relationship between the reader, user, or browser and website owner, authors, contributors, contributing firms, or their respective employers.
Credit.com receives compensation for the financial products and services advertised on this site if our users apply for and sign up for any of them. Compensation is not a factor in the substantive evaluation of any product.
A scam involving counterfeit checks is making its way around the internet, and if you’re not careful, you could be its next victim.
That’s according to Fox 6 Now, which reported this week that a man named Jerry Peterson received a priority mail package after applying for a mystery shopper job online. Inside was a check for $3,830, along with detailed instructions on what to do with it.
Peterson was told to spend $180 at Staples and/or Office Depot and pocket $400 for himself. He was instructed to wire the remaining $3,250 back to the original sender immediately.
After discussing the package with his wife, Peterson realized it was a counterfeit check scam and called police. In a counterfeit check scam, the target is meant to wire the requested funds, deposit the check and ultimately wind up on the hook for all those dollars when the banks discovers the check is fraudulent. Fortunately, he didn’t lose any money, but Peterson told Fox 6 Now he’s receiving at least two calls a week from different phone numbers asking him if he finished his “assignment.”
Remember, it’s always a good idea to research any company you’re thinking of working for or doing business with before turning over sensitive personal information (like your cell phone number). And it’s a good idea to be particularly wary of companies sending counterfeit checks and/or asking you to wire money — two popular methods among scammers.
If you think you’ve been a victim of a counterfeit check scam, you should report the fraud to your local authorities. And if you think your personal information has been compromised, you should monitor your credit to make sure new accounts weren’t taken out in your name. You can do so by pulling your reports for free each year at AnnualCreditReport.com and viewing your credit scores each month, also for free, on Credit.com. A sudden drop in credit score is a sign that identity theft may have occurred.
Image: YinYang
October 19, 2023
Identity Theft and Scams
May 17, 2022
Identity Theft and Scams
May 20, 2021
Identity Theft and Scams