Don’t get scammed out of your hard earned money! There are many variations of the counterfeit check scam. Modern technology allows crooks to easily create realistic looking personal checks, business checks, Cashier’s Checks or Money Orders.

It could be that you won a sweepstakes you don’t remember entering, a great work from home offer, or asking you to help a family in a foreign country by transferring funds to your account for safekeeping. Whatever the pitch, don’t get caught with your guard down.

If you receive an offer that seems too good to be true, contact us and we can help you determine if the offer is legitimate.

Here are some tips that will help you avoid becoming the victim of a counterfeit check scam:

• Shred any offer that asks you to pay for a prize or a gift. Legitimate sweepstakes offer a chance to win a prize or money with no purchase or entry fee required.
• Know who you’re dealing with, and never wire money or send a check to strangers. If you must send a check, consider utilizing a Cashier’s Check or Money Order instead of your own personal check to keep your personal information safe.
• Watch out for any lottery, secret shopper or business offer that involves you receiving a check and then forwarding money by MoneyGram or Western Union, or to purchase gift cards and send back images of the cards.
• Resist pressure to act immediately. Any legitimate offer should still be good after the check clears.
• If you’re concerned about the validity of a check, contact us at 513-241-2050 or bring the check to one of our offices.
• Watch out for any job opportunity that asks you to be a money transfer agent. Legitimate businesses should not ask you to deposit their checks into your personal account, then instruct you to forward or return some or all of the funds.
• Do not to rely on money from any type of check, unless you know and trust the person you’re dealing with, until we can confirm that the check has cleared. Forgeries can take weeks to be returned through the system, and until you have confirmation that a check has cleared, you are responsible for any funds you withdraw against that check, whether or not there is a hold on them.
• Monitor your checking account activity carefully. Immediately report if you think you’re a victim of a check fraud scheme or if you notice something suspicious. Contact us as well as the local police department.
• Never give someone your ATM/Debit Card or your online banking credentials so that they can deposit money into your account.

Another way scammers can take advantage of someone is by a process known as ‘check washing’.

Learn how to keep yourself safe from this deceptive practice by clicking the button for more details.

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