Watch out for scams

[BGill]

I had received a fake check from Jeremywells asking to have in deposit in my bank account through the ATM. I went into the bank and they check the it out and confirm that it was fake. This is the second person on HB who tried to get me to deposit a fake check. 

watch out for this scam. 

[Guest]

One of the oldest tricks, didn't know people were still pulling this one decades later. 

 

Remember that rule on this site about not exchanging money with anyone you haven't met? If not and you're sitting there with a check from this or some other cute boy or hot employer, ask yourself a few questions such as:

 

Why would you think someone would need you in particular to cash a check for you when there are no fewer than a million check cashing places within 10 miles of everyone?

 

You can even do mobile deposits of your own checks into almost any bank account. Don't have an account? Open one in less than 3 minutes on any of the endless apps like Chime or CashApp or Current. Pretty much everyone knows this, so why would some hot guy need you to use your bank account to cash a check?

 

Another huge red flag: Did he offer to let you keep some of the money for your troubles? If that's the case, he could have paid a check cashing place far less to cash that same check and he could have gotten his money instantly (because checks can be verified instantly now, part of the reason this scam doesn't actually work anymore). 

 

Really, why would it make more sense for someone to put their check in the mail risking it being lost or taking forever to get to you (and not knowing if you'll even give them any of their money back) instead of just going down to a check cashing place, paying $10.00 or less, and having their cash in hand instantly? If they sent it certified mail, they had to go down to the post office or some mail post to get that done, or they know how to go online and get that set up to be able to do from home, so why would that same person not just go to a check cashing place nearby, or why would that tech savy person not know how to open up an account with one of the many mobile banking apps that exist? 

 

Last obvious flag is the fact that someone you've never met trusts you to cash and return their money at all.

 

Not trying to scold you in particular; just pointing out the obvious red flags that people seem to suddenly ignore when a hot guy comes along promising the world and showing half naked pictures. Someone will hopefully read those questions themselves while they're waiting to get a check from someone and wise up before even bothering to take that hot check from that hot guy to the bank. In some states, just trying to cash a fake check will get you locked up. In fact, if you were pulled over and got caught with what was obviously a fake check, that too could get you locked up. Don't even have someone mail them to you out of curiosity. No boy is cute enough for that and no employer can pay me enough to risk that.

 

By the way, if it's an employer that can afford to house and pay you to be cute for him but he can't open and use his own bank account, there's a reason.