Scammers Sending Out Fake Checks Go After Small Businesses

Tue, 14 May 2013 15:47:55 -0400

You may have heard about the phony check scam. Now, Local 12 Troubleshooter Howard Ain says international con men are targeting small business owners with this same scam and in some cases, getting away with it.

The checks looks very real. They even has a watermark on the back, but it's a complete fake.

Scammers have been sending out these fake checks for years hoping to steal money from consumers. Now they're going after small businesses. One scam began with an email order for fliers and business cards sent to a minuteman press store in Miami. "Everything appeared to be legitimate."

Then the payment arrived. "We received a postal money order and it was for more than it should have been." Part of the payment was for the printing expenses, owner Steve Schaeffer was told. The other was for business expenses for the person picking up the order. "He asked us to go to the bank to deposit it and if we could please take what was left and send the balance to his partner."

Schaeffer did that and a few days later checked his bank account, only to find the money order had bounced. "A wonderful scammer, par excellence."

In fact, the conman even sent a second money order and was about to try the same scam, but by then, Schaeffer was on to him. "In fact they had the same serial number on the bottom."

Now, how can you avoid being taken by this scam. "If it's a postal money order, go to the post office, ask them to look up the money order and find out if its legitimate."

"You feel violated. You feel taken advantage of. You're saying gosh I should have known better."

In all, Schaeffer lost about $800 to these crooks. His advice, check your bank account every few days. If he hadn't done that and discovered the money order had bounced, he could have ended up losing even more money.

Never send money to a stranger who sends you a check for more than you were expecting and who asks you to send them the difference.

LOCAL 12: Troubleshooter Reports

Scammers Sending Out Fake Checks Go After Small Businesses