Ask Me Help Desk - Fraud cheque

Just a month ago I was looking for job and iwas applying for job on online sites like jobbank, workopolis, monster. So one job I have applied they answered me with email that we are doing construction business in UK and we have customer in US and CANADA. I am living in CANADA. So you have to just collect the money from customer and deposit to your account and deliver to another distuributor in US and CANADA as I direct you on email for that you'll get 10% commission on each transaction.

I have received a Chqeue of $2500 it was a international money order form so I took to to bank and ask the bank person cheque is OK or not?? Bank person told me its okk so I withdrawn the cash right away and deliver the 90% amount to US as directed to me in email. Now cheque is returned with note that it's fraud cheque or stolen cheque, now bank has bebited my account with$2500 and freez my account for investigation. So what should I do now and how do I recover my money?? I have only the email account of that person and no any other detail.

Thank you

vishal modi.

It sounds like you were scammed. You could report the persons information to Canadian authorities but chances are that the email address you had has been deleted.

You should never have to spend money like that for a job. The fraudulent check is a pretty old scam. I'm sorry you had to experience it first hand.

Contact RECOL Canada (Reporting Economic Crime On-Line) they might be able to have the account un-frozen after a short investigation to show you were the one scammed.

From now on don't believe any of these emails, companies are more than able to transfer money from one business to another themselves without "account agents" or whatever term they use. All they want is for you to send that 90% to them before you find out they gave you a bad check.
https://www.recol.ca/contactus.aspx

Quote:

Originally Posted by vishal079

Just a month ago i was looking for job and iwas applying for job on online sites like jobbank, workopolis, monster. so one job i have applied they answered me with email that we are doing construction business in UK and we have customer in US and CANADA. i am living in CANADA. so you have to just collect the money from customer and deposit to your account and deliver to another distuributor in US and CANADA as i direct you on email for that you'll get 10% commission on each transaction.

I have received a Chqeue of $2500 it was a international money order form so i took to to bank and ask the bank person cheque is ok or not??? Bank person told me its okk so i withdrawn the cash right away and deliver the 90% amount to US as directed to me in email. Now cheque is returned with note that it's fraud cheque or stolen cheque, now bank has bebited my account with$2500 and freez my account for investigation. so what should i do now and how do i recover my money??? I have only the email account of that person and no anyother detail.

thank you

vishal modi.

Hey Vishal,
I am sorry you got scamed but I wanted to let you know your not the only one!
They got me too... however I did not put the check in to my account I called the issuing bank and talked to the fraud department,
See I am an English tutor, and apparently after they were caught on to with the scam you got caught in they moved to us teachers!
So please don't feel badly about this.
But always call the issuing bank to verify that the check was/is real before you make a deposit. Sadly the USA FBI can't even track these guys down!
Best I was told they are some place in Africa.
Nice EH??
Sorry yaar...
But from now on always verify the ligitamacy of a chck with your bank as well as the issuing bank and never ever ever let someone send you a check that you need to forward money on to someone else unless you do the leg work to make sure its ligit.
Here is how to do this the right way so you never get stuck again.
First maintain that all people are basically good but keep in mind that more offton then not good people are hard to find,
Second when you recive a check for any reason always call you bank and ask to speak to the fraud department and ask if they ave had any reports from the account issuing the check.
Third just to make sure...
Call the bank that the account is from, you can look this up online and they usually have a toll free # you can call... then speak to the fraud department there.
Ask them if they can verify a check for you,
Always give them the checks information and if they say it seems OK that does not mean I is ask them if thy would mind calling the account holder to double check with them before you make the deposit.
If all is well congrats but usually by step 2 or 3 you will find you were being scamed.
If not this does not mean that you are not it just means they have moved to a new target matter and have not been caught just yet.
Hence the ask the account holder step.
Usually these guys make checks that look so real even the issuing bank can't tell its fake.
I worked in a bank and know what to look for in a fake check and the one I was sent looked real had all the safety gagets and gizmos.
So always error on the side of caution.
If you are offering a service or selling an item or looking for a job always make sur the checks you are sent are 100% good by using the above method,
Also if you do mak a deposit its usually a good idea to wait until the mony is relaesed from your bank and then wait a week or so more to make sure its good.
This way if you do happen to get scamed again the most your out is the returned check fee about 25$ if you ask me it's a lot less painful then if they get 2500$
Sorry again yaar that you got snowed like this but I wanted you to feel better about it.
Oh and if your still looking for a job I may be able to help.
You can contact [email protected]
My husband and I run a small business placeing workers with employers here in the states.

You shouldn't really advertise your business here, but agreed with what you said about being cautious.

Also in general don't fall for things that sound too easy. If they make it sound like earning hundreds or thousands of dollars will be easy and take little to no effort then it's usually a scam. Things like that are too good to be true but these scammer prey on people looking to make a quick buck in their spare time.

Unfortunately This was not a high priced scam. 200$ so this was harder to detect then the get rich quick scams that we usually see... FBI said they think these guys have lowed the bar to try and avoid detection.
But I was not advertizing as you sugested...
Simply offering help to a fellow human.

I am from Ontario and read the Toronto Star every morning. For the last few months the police have been warning us about scams exactly like this and they work.

Unfortunately there are desperate people with very little money and very little gumption and will simply believe the wonderful opportunities these people offer and what's even worse, not having the now how to follow up and find out why, after they lose their money.

I guess, in general people just stop thinking when they see the opportunity to receive a big pile of money. All people really need to do is use common sense... why would a company give you hundreds or even thousands of dollars to do a simple bank transaction.