The People Group
Snail Mail Check Scam
by Cheryl Baumgartner Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
Cheryl Baumgartner 
Medical...
I posted this before in another group but nobody seems to have paid any attention to it there. Garnet's post about the scam brought it back to my mind so I'm placing the information here.
The Sept 2007 AARP Bulletin reported on a fairly "new" scam that people are getting caught with. People are receiving checks for supposed "winnings" in lotteries. The unexpected check shows up and gets cashed. You deposit the check and when it bounces guess who gets stuck holding the bag?
You should be suspicious of unsolicited checks from lotteries, overpayments from online auctions etc. AARP gave some tips we could all use so I though I would share them
1. Don't be fooled by the check's appearance. There are several warning signs. If you make a copy of a real check on a photocopy machine the word "VOID" will appear on the copy. The Bank routing number should appear in the lower left corner of the check and should 9 digits long the account number should immediately follow the routing number. If they are missing or the routing number is less than 9 digits the check is bogus.
2. Do an online search for the check issuer, make sure the company is real and the address is correct.
3. Examine the check for inaccuracies such as wrong zip code or misspelled street name in the issuer's address.
In addition to these tips let me add one of my own and an extra warning. First the tip, don't stop with the online search check them out through the Better Business Bureau. Now for the warning.
How many of you with a checking account have it set up so that you're cleared checks are mailed back to you? If the check you receive is set up to go back to the bogus company that sent it to you, they are now going to have quite a bit of information on you.Your signature
Your account number
and the name and routing number name of your bank which means they have access to your account to go in and drain it.
Oct 27th 2007 00:05
Medical...I posted this before in another group but nobody seems to have paid any attention to it there. Garnet's post about the scam brought it back to my mind so I'm placing the information here.
The Sept 2007 AARP Bulletin reported on a fairly "new" scam that people are getting caught with. People are receiving checks for supposed "winnings" in lotteries. The unexpected check shows up and gets cashed. You deposit the check and when it bounces guess who gets stuck holding the bag?
You should be suspicious of unsolicited checks from lotteries, overpayments from online auctions etc. AARP gave some tips we could all use so I though I would share them
1. Don't be fooled by the check's appearance. There are several warning signs. If you make a copy of a real check on a photocopy machine the word "VOID" will appear on the copy. The Bank routing number should appear in the lower left corner of the check and should 9 digits long the account number should immediately follow the routing number. If they are missing or the routing number is less than 9 digits the check is bogus.
2. Do an online search for the check issuer, make sure the company is real and the address is correct.
3. Examine the check for inaccuracies such as wrong zip code or misspelled street name in the issuer's address.
In addition to these tips let me add one of my own and an extra warning. First the tip, don't stop with the online search check them out through the Better Business Bureau. Now for the warning.
How many of you with a checking account have it set up so that you're cleared checks are mailed back to you? If the check you receive is set up to go back to the bogus company that sent it to you, they are now going to have quite a bit of information on you.Your signature
Your account number
and the name and routing number name of your bank which means they have access to your account to go in and drain it.
Oct 27th 2007 00:05
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Comments
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David Schupbach
 Definitely worth reading! I have been aware of this, but thanks for sharing it. The best way to eradicate 'vermin' online, might be to shed light on them? D Oct 27th 2007 07:02 |
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Cheryl Baumgartner
Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceThis is definitely something to keep an eye on. My brother received one of these checks for $6,500 from the Canadian lottery which is illegal in the U.S. Oct 27th 2007 08:01 |
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Not Here
 just want my account deletedThanks for sharing this Cheryl, must read material for anyone!! What I don't understand is how come the banks aren't catching on to the bogus checks?!? Oct 27th 2007 08:16 |
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Cheryl Baumgartner
Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceUnfortunately these checks look legit. In the article from AARP they spoke to an experienced police detective that could not see anything wrong with the one he received. It was printed on counterfeit check paper complete with watermarks. He was simply skeptical about it because of so many years in law enforcement. He discovered his was bogus because the word "Copy" appeared when he ran it through a copier. Other than that it looked like the real thing! Oct 27th 2007 08:21 |
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Not Here
just want my account deletedWe can never be too carefull! Still think that banks should be watching a lot closer, I mean if running through a copier is all it takes or whatever, they are responsible for handling our money too. And that's not to say we don't need to take responsiblilty ourselves, people working together can stop these things, thanks for sharing this with the group!! Oct 27th 2007 08:47 |
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Mark Hultgren
Wordpress SpecialistI have been burnt once online in the last five years and it cleared out my account in a matter of three days! I was using a Bank that guaranteed my charges though so everything that was taken was replaced, but it took me two weeks to get the funds back into the acct and new cards issued. What a PAIN!. Oct 27th 2007 09:13 |
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Shrihari Sawant
ConsultantVery good information you have provided here for the people to get alert in the online business. Oct 29th 2007 20:59 |
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Cheryl Baumgartner
Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceI'm glad the information was noticed this time around Oct 29th 2007 21:17 |
Hello. Ppl_Cheryl. Thank you for that vital information and alert. Your post is a must-read and a must-note-carefully. There is hardly anybody on the Net who has not observed or even experienced one online scam or the other. I think caution and not being greedily opportunistic should be our watchwords. God bless you.
Oct 27th 2007 05:38