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Protecting Yourself From Counterfeit Check Scam Artists
These scam emails serve only one purpose; to separate you from your money. Heres how to avoid a counterfeit check scam: Throw away any offer that asks you to pay for a prize or a gift. If its free or a gift, you shouldnt have to pay for it. Free is f
These scam emails serve only one purpose; to separate you from your money.
Heres how to avoid a counterfeit check scam:
Throw away any offer that asks you to pay for a prize or a gift. If its free or a gift, you shouldnt have to pay for it. Free is free.
Resist the urge to enter foreign lotteries. Its illegal to play a foreign lottery through the mail or the telephone, and most foreign lottery solicitations are phony.
Know who youre dealing with, and never wire money to strangers.
If youre selling something, dont accept a check for more than the selling price, no matter how tempting the offer or how convincing the story. Ask the buyer to write the check for the correct amount. If the buyer refuses to send the correct amount, return the check. Dont send the merchandise.
As a seller, you can suggest an alternative way for the buyer to pay, like an escrow service or online payment service. There may be a charge for an escrow service. If the buyer insists on using a particular escrow or online payment service youve never heard of, check it out. Visit its website, and read its terms of agreement and privacy policy. Call the customer service line. If there isnt one or if you call and cant get answers about the services reliability dont use the service.
If you accept payment by check, ask for a check drawn on a local bank, or a bank with a local branch. That way, you can make a personal visit to make sure the check is valid. If thats not possible, call the bank where the check was purchased, and ask if it is valid.
Get the banks phone number from directory assistance or an Internet site that you know and trust, not from the check or from the person who gave you the check.
If the buyer insists that you wire back funds, end the transaction immediately. Legitimate buyers dont pressure you to send money by wire transfer services. In addition, you have little recourse if theres a problem with a wire transaction.
Resist any pressure to act now. If the buyers offer is good now, it should be good after the check clears.
If You Think Youre a Victim
If you think youve been targeted by a counterfeit check scam, report it to the following agencies:
The Federal Trade Commission Visit ftc.gov or 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Visit their web site or call your local post office. The number is in the Blue Pages of your local telephone directory.
Your state or local consumer protection agencies. Check the Blue Pages of your local telephone directory for appropriate phone numbers.
For More Information
The Federal Trade Commission works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
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