Beware of check fraud scams on Yelp.com
There has been in influx of scammers on Yelp.com. The way it works is that they’ll show up in my leads box on Yelp, requesting a moving quote. Everything looks normal at first, then the scamming starts. The person requesting the quote will often list everything that they want moved in a detailed list to make me think that it’s a normal Yelp quote. This would make us think that this is a normal request for a Yelp.com user. Then, when I provide the quote, they agree to send a cashier’s check for whatever amount I quote. They do this without negotiation or anything so this is what draws a red flag. Then they agree to send the full amount in a cashier’s check before the move is even done. Once the check is received, they keep contacting me to encourage a fast deposit. Then low and behold, they come up with a sad story like their father or mother is in a military hospital and they need some of the money back to pay for their hospital care. So, they prey on the fact that I will deposit the check and immediately give them some of it back before the bank finds out that it’s fraud. I am hoping that no one else falls for this scam and Yelp doesn’t seem to care because they do nothing to investigate it and the person usually deletes their account when they know I’ve figured out that it was a scam. See what the FTC says on how to avoid these scams below.
How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Fake Check Scams
Fake checks might look like business or personal checks, cashier’s checks, money orders, or a check delivered electronically. Here’s what to know about fake check scams.
Why Do These Scams Work?
These scams work because fake checks generally look just like real checks, even to bank employees. They are often printed with the names and addresses of legitimate financial institutions. They may even be real checks written on bank accounts that belong to someone whose identity has been stolen. It can take weeks for a bank to figure out that the check is a fake.
Fake Checks and Your Bank
By law, banks have to make deposited funds available quickly, usually within two days. When the funds are made available in your account, the bank may say the check has “cleared,” but that doesn’t mean it’s a good check. Fake checks can take weeks to be discovered and untangled. By that time, the scammer has any money you sent, and you’re stuck paying the money back to the bank.
Your best bet: Don’t rely on money from a check unless you know and trust the person you’re dealing with.
How To Avoid a Fake Check Scam
- Never use money from a check to send gift cards, money orders, cryptocurrency, or to wire money to anyone who asks you to. Many scammers demand that you buy gift cards and send them the PIN numbers, buy cryptocurrency and transfer it to them, or send money through wire transfer services like Western Union or MoneyGram. Once you do, it’s like you’ve given them cash. It’s almost impossible to get it back.
- Toss offers that ask you to pay for a prize. If it’s free, you shouldn’t have to pay to get it. Only scammers will ask you to pay to collect a “free” prize.
- Don’t accept a check for more than the selling price. You can bet it’s a scam.
What To Do If You Sent Money to a Scammer
Here are ways to try to get your money back, depending on how you paid a scammer.
- Gift card. Gift cards are for gifts, not payments. Anyone who demands payment by gift card is always a scammer. If you paid a scammer with a gift card, tell the company that issued the card right away. When you contact the company, tell them the gift card was used in a scam. Ask them if they can refund your money. If you act quickly enough, the company might be able to get your money back. Also, tell the store where you bought the gift card as soon as possible.
Here is a list of gift cards that scammers often use — with information to help report a scam. If the card you used is not on this list, you might find the gift card company’s contact information on the card itself. Otherwise, do some research online.
- Wire transfer. If you wired money to a scammer, call the wire transfer company immediately to report the fraud and file a complaint. Reach the complaint department of MoneyGram at 1-800-MONEYGRAM (1-800-666-3947) or Western Union at 1-800-325-6000. Ask for the money transfer to be reversed. It’s unlikely to happen, but it’s important to ask.
- Money order. If you paid a scammer with a money order, contact the company that issued the money order right away to see if you can stop payment. Also, try to stop delivery of the money order: if you sent it by U.S. mail, contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455. Otherwise, contact whatever delivery service you used as soon as possible.
- Cryptocurrency. If you paid with cryptocurrency, contact the company you used to send the money and tell them it was a fraudulent transaction. Ask to have the transaction reversed, if possible.
Report Fraud
If you think you’ve been targeted by a fake check scam, report it to