Thread: C.B.P. Seize $65 Million in Counterfeit Checks

C.B.P. News Release

CBP Indianapolis Seize $65 Million in Counterfeit Checks

(Tuesday, April 06, 2010)

Indianpolis — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, working at the Indianapolis FedEx facility, seized more than $65 million in counterfeit checks thus far this year in an effort to stop illegal international financial scams designed to steal money from United States citizens.

According to CBP, the majority of recent seized counterfeit checks originate in Canada. CBP officers, stationed at express consignment facilities throughout the United States, process and examine all parcels arriving from foreign points of origin. The fake checks come into this country addressed to unsuspecting recipients. These innocent victims think they will receive free money, but end up with disastrous results. Counterfeit checks are utilized in many different types of swindling operations including the following common foreign lottery and overpayment scams:

Foreign Lottery Scam:

It's your lucky day! You have just won a foreign lottery! In this scam, a U.S. citizen is sent a cashier's check to cover the taxes and fees of a foreign lottery prize. In order to receive the winnings, they must deposit the check and wire the money to the sender to pay the taxes and fees. The recipient is given a guarantee that when the payment is received, the prize will be sent. There is just one catch. The check is no good. Even though it appears to be a legitimate cashier's check, if it is deposited, the bank would soon learn that the check was a fake. In the end, the money that was wired to pay the taxes and fees will never be recovered, plus the recipient must pay back the bank for the entire amount they received from the fake check.

Overpayment Scam:

A buyer responds to a classified ad or online auction and is offering to pay with a cashier's, personal, or corporate check. At the last minute, the so-called buyer (or the buyer's "agent") comes up with a reason for writing the check for more than the purchase price and asks for the difference to be wired back to them after the check is deposited. Typically, the checks are counterfeit. When the check eventually bounces, the honest seller is liable for the entire amount and must pay back the bank. To be safe, don't accept a check for more than the selling price, no matter how tempting the plea or convincing the story. Ask the buyer to write the check for the purchase price. If the buyer sends the incorrect amount, return the check. Don't send the merchandise.

“Remember if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is,â€

Just read a spam email today which told me that I could have $4.1 million if I help their tribal king get money out of Africa. All they needed was my bank account info. This was from Nigeria, and the crap is so old, I am surprised they are still trying.
Also, don't put out bill payments checks the night before. A retired police chief did that in FL years ago, and the checks were grabbed, washed and the guy was seeing his account overdrawn by thousands.