Forum Moderators: phranque
Things that are wrong are:
- It came from Canada without a return address
Who the hell sends a $9000+ check without a return address. Could be a mistake, but thats just one of the fishy parts of it.
- The signature looks traced. Its as if the person drew over the current signature.
- The check is from a legit company with the address on it. The check has an address of a company in New York. I googled the name and its a huge company that sells shoes.
The thing now is how the hell did my name and address end up on the check. Could it be a mistake? or am i really that lucky?
Question now is what happens if i try to cash it? I'm quite sure it will go through too. Its definately authentic from chase. The possible outcomes that I can think of happening if i do cash it is:
- I get a call from the company asking about the money i recieved and have to return it.
- I get arrested. But how though? It's a "BANK Check" that required someone to goto the bank to get and it has my name and address on it too. What's wrong with cashing out something that has my name on it.
- The accountant is horrible at bookkeeping. I get away with free money since this check is so marginal to the things that they sell.
What else? Anyone have suggestions on what to do? It's quite tempting to cash this out. But i guess the best course of action is to call thi company up and ask why was this sent to me.
If you try to clear the check you will discover that there's no funds in the sender account and you will be charged twice by your bank (clearing and devolution).
They are playing with time. There are at least seven days between the day you clear the check and the day you can get the money. If you send them some money the second day you are really giving them YOUR money.
Try to search at Google for checks scam.
Of course, if you want to learn on your own pocket, run just now into the bank and cash the check.
[edited by: Lexur at 6:23 am (utc) on Aug. 8, 2006]
In the UK, unless the money was sent to you correctly, you would be required to repay it - I imagine the same is true in the US and most countries so there is nothing to be gained by presenting the check.
Kaled.
Since you were able to track down the company, call them. If it is legit, someone there must know about it. Don't automatically assume it's fraud. It does sound strange, but you never know!
Since you're not in Canada your bank will show the funds in your account a few days before the cheque is actually debited from Canada.
send no money although you didn't say any needed to be sent.
God willing I know you can use it it will be good if not you are ok as well....
After you do it will bounce - sometimes months later.
What scambaiters do is keep the check as a souvenir and maybe frame it and hang it on the wall for a trophy. Then when the scammer wants you to wire the money by Western Union you tell them you will.
You make up a money transfer control number and see how many fruitless trips you can get them to take to Western Union while you keep getting one digit wrong, then eventually you reluctantly admit that actually you spent all their money on a nice new truck.
Scammers hate being out-scammed.
could be! cheques need not be forged they can be stolen too ... whole series of blank cashiers cheques can and often are stolen.
it seems a no brainer to me, cash the cheque, if someone contacts you asking for their money back/mistake tell them to get lost ... the cheque was paid to you and sent to you there is no reason why you should have to give it back if they made a mistake.
If the check was acquired through non authorised or means that could not be reasonably considered to be legal by any reasonable person,
if you attempt to cash such a check, you might concievably leave yourself exposed to the due process off the law,,
2 scams do not make a legal transaction
Did you sell that companystuff worth $9k,,?
could you reasonably prove that you expected a check for $9k?
I can't actually recommendany course of action, but people who find property the believe belongs to someone else, perhaps lying on the road, are generally expected to hand it in to ,, the law
So if you walked out of your house an found your neighbours prize Mercedes benz 500 sl abandoned out of petrol on your parking slot, left by a car theif, would you claim it as yours?
Two rules I go by when evaluating a potential scam:
1. The con is in the details.
2. If it seems to good to be true, it is.
Period - use those 2 rules and you will ID every scam no matter how the details change.
If you have had no business or personal dealings with this company why on earth ...
oh never mind.
They say that these scams don't work with honest people.
If the check is not good or otherwise invalid, expect a bank charge.
Chances are your bank officer will be familiar with any scam and/or be able to verify the check. Your information may even help them put a crook behind bars (doubt it). At the worst you may get a $20-30 returned item charge and a story to tell. At best you owe me a trip to Vegas in November. 8^)
Unless it is an affiliate check that you forgot about?
Anyway duckxtales, if you don't want the check feel free to sign it over to me! :-D
JK, have the bank verify it but I think most uninformed people would go and cash it without a first thought so yeah it smells fishy to me!
- John
Hey lets cool it with the religion please!
So then its ok to just take what doesn't belong to you and hope you get away with it?
Yeah ... there's a plan based on solid advise!
This seems like a classic opportunity to underestimate your opponent. I'm a chess player and have learned to put my guard up when I think "I can't believe they were stupid enough to do that". I've learned the hard way not to be stupid enough to think that "they were stupid enough to do that".
Plus, who sends a check for $9k w/ no return address. I mean come on...
My guess it's one of two things: a disgruntled ex employee of Chase, or someone who would like to make counterfeit checks for themselves, but is testing their "quality" on the gullible first.
From another perspective, it's also another opportunity (or a new opportunity) to be person you've always wanted to be... which ever side that falls on. Good luck.
I had a cousin that got something like that in the mail, took it to a check cashing place and ended up in jail because the checks were forged and they thought he was part of the ring... took months to clear him and a few hundred dollars in defending himself.
Yeah... let's say you're one of the more intelligent criminals out there, and you happen to find yourself with several hundred checks. Would you cash them all yourself? Or would you send some all over the place and make the police guess who's deeply involved and who's not?
The "no return address" part sure is weird. You'd think any normal scammer would at least put a fake return address on it.
I also agree with Dogza. Make sure it *isn't* yours. I've received checks I didn't expect that were legit. Cashing it just sounds like a risky way to find out in this case.
2 money orders from "republique du benin" at $1500 each
