?

There are two popular types of fake check scams re-emerging: the big lottery or jackpot winnings and the work-from-home scam. Another is a scammer offering to write a check for an amount larger than you are selling something for. In all situations, the victim receives a bogus check from the scammer. The victim then deposits the check. On average, a fake check scheme ranges between $3,000 to $4,000, according to the National Consumer League, a nonprofit consumer group based in Washington, D.C. Since federal law requires banks to make the funds for customer deposits available quickly, usually within one to five days, depending on the type of check, according to the National Consumers League; then the “Money” is put in the victim’s account by the bank. THE CATCH: This does not mean that the check they deposited was legitimate. The scammer then contacts the victim within a few days or sometimes even immediately with an excuse to get some of that money returned: “The check amount was accidentally too high, there is a processing fee, we have a gift to send you, etc..” It can take weeks for the bogus check to be detected by the bank. By that time, the victim has already wired some money back to the scammer. The victim may have even spent the money the bank gave them. The scammer is long gone by then. The bank does not hesitate to get their money back from the victim one way or another.]]>