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Received fake check for a job, should I turn them in? (with pics)

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M

MWCShay

Member
I do freelance work and usually deal with money only but these last few months I have been accepting checks because I am moving out of state and looking to buy a house. Anyway I did some work for someone ( that I have never met in Louisiana ).

First read flag was the job was just for 900 bucks, the check is made out for 1,950. Why is it so much higher you ask? Because they want me to give the excess to some jackass out here in Los Angeles. Immediately set an alarm off.

Then today I get the check in the mail and shit was hilarious, why anyone would fall for this is beyond me but take a look.

qYZDzxq.jpg
Click to expand...

I'm supposed to believe that someone has the name Bacon Son?!?!

Now here is the check
wucfeSx.jpg
Click to expand...

First off there is no Chase :Logo, then the MCIR line is all wrong. The check number goes at the end not at the beginning. The routing number goes in the beginning(the routing number is actually correct) not in the middle.

The only thing I am out of is really time, I didn't sell a physical item and I sure as hell won't be cashing this check. So I am debating on just ripping it up or trying to turn this jackoff in to the authorities.
 
F

FantasticMrFoxdie

Mumber
Bacon Son, I am disappoint.
lol what the hell.

Yeah I'd ask the bank about that. If they say its fake definitely take it to the authorities. That sucks if its really a fake check
 
R

Randolph Freelander

Member
FantasticMrFoxdie said:
Yeah I'd ask the bank about that. If they say its fake definitely take it to the authorities. That sucks if its really a fake check
Click to expand...

It's definitely fake, or at least worthless. This is the classic check scam, "deposit this and send us a little." The fact that it's associated with some freelance work is a different wrinkle.
 
L

LyleLanley

Banned
MWCShay said:
First read flag was the job was just for 900 bucks, the check is made out for 1,950. Why is it so much higher you ask? Because they want me to give the excess to some jackass out here in Los Angeles. Immediately set an alarm off.
Click to expand...


That's like the quintessential first step in check fraud.
 
P

Patryn

Member
I've read stories of people who have been arrested attempting to cash these checks. I've also read possible apocryphal stories about people being arrested just asking if the check is good.

Take it to the cops. It's the safest thing to do.

Also, as others have pointed out, you've just been defrauded of $900. You may want to file a report about that as well.
 
D

Dali

Member
Of course turn them in. Why would you not? In all likelihood nothing will come of it. Maybe a scam warning somewhere, but seriously why would you let these asaholes get away without even as much as a report?
 
K

kehs

Banned
The MICR can have the check number up front.

I'm holding a check with that same layout. (check number, routing, bank account) and another one with (check number, bank account, routing)

This one is from Chicken & Mom though.
 
M

MWCShay

Member
I do a lot of freelance work mostly with music and photography. They wanted me to take some photographs of real estate in the area, and were looking for local help with it.

I haven't even sent them any of the photographs yet and only took pictures of one house. So as of now I only have lost some time.

I think I am going to go ahead and turn them in, the email they were writing me from is a yahoo email. differentkelly@yahoo.com I say they because it is supposedly 2 people, Kelly and David.

On top of that when I first got suspicious I asked for contact numbers, facebook pages, linkedin and personal websites. They only gave me a number that I checked out and its a VoIP number, a google voice number most likely.

I'm going to tell them I deposited the check and see what they say now.
 
H

HoTHiTTeR

Member
First thought is that the company prints their own checks rather than going to the local branch and issuing cashiers checks.

I'd call the funds verification line at chase then cash it.
 
B

bloodforge

Member
Is there no way to check at your bank to verify if it is legit or not?

Seems like the easiest way.

Edit: I would contact them and have them send a check for the proper amount first. Tell them they can get the other person their money some other way.
 
D

DarkFlow

Banned
Looks like a real check to me. I've had worse looking checks that were legit. It's most likely from there own checks they printed up and use for payroll.
My mother worked payroll for my dad's trucking company, checks looked like this all the time.
 
S

Saganator

Member
Pastry said:
I believe the FBI are the ones that handle faked checks, bank fraud, etc.
Click to expand...

Actually, I'm pretty sure that would be the Secret Service. My room mate had to deal with some Nigerians using fake credit cards to buy industrial batteries and the Secret Service was the one trying to catch them.
 
K

Krakatoa

Member
Scammers pick random companies and send out so called company checks.
I bet if you call Bacon son they will tell you that its a fake check.
 
W

Wyndstryker

Member
HoTHiTTeR said:
First thought is that the company prints their own checks rather than going to the local branch and issuing cashiers checks.

I'd call the funds verification line at chase then cash it.
Click to expand...

This is my first thought as well.

Call them up, at least the routing number is legit, dunno about the account number.
 
P

pigeon

Banned
There is a 0% chance that a check for twice what you expected with instructions for you to send half of it to somebody else is a real check. This is the classic check cashing scam.

The first thing you should do is call the police and give them the information about the original contractor and the person you were supposed to send money to in LA. They, at least, may actually be apprehendable.
 
B

BPoole

Member
They should have used the name "Nanomachines, Son"

Anyway, yeah, turn them in. I never accept payments in checks, but if I had to and that was sent to me, I am not 100% confident that I would be able to detect that it was fake since I have such little experience writing/accepting checks.
 
D

Dali

Member
DarkFlow said:
Looks like a real check to me. I've had worse looking checks that were legit. It's most likely from there own checks they printed up and use for payroll.
My mother worked payroll for my dad's trucking company, checks looked like this all the time.
Click to expand...
What company asks you to cash a check and pass the excess funds on to a third party?
 
K

kehs

Banned
Saganator said:
Actually, I'm pretty sure that would be the Secret Service. My room mate had to deal with some Nigerians using fake credit cards to buy industrial batteries and the Secret Service was the one trying to catch them.
Click to expand...

Secret service deals with currency fraud.
 
E

electroflame

Member
Wonder if this would apply here.

Either way, I'd take it to a bank and see if they can verify whether it's a fake, and then report it if it is. Taking it to a bank first should also give you concrete evidence for your reporting purposes.

$900 may seem like not a lot to worry about, but I'm sure if they're scammers that they've done it before and will continue to do so. Stopping them will help not just yourself, but others as well.
 
H

HoTHiTTeR

Member
Wyndstryker said:
This is my first thought as well.

Call them up, at least the routing number is legit, dunno about the account number.
Click to expand...

To add to my thought previous...
You should be able to walk into a chase branch and literally 'cash' the check without an account. They will do the funds verification for you onsite. Some verification lines will only give close of business details or will not share depending on if you are or are not a client.
 
G

Gritesh

Member
Lol if this check is legit and OP ends up not getting any more contract work from someone who was honestly just trying to pay him.
 
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