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katmikrubin · May 3, 2010, 04:24 PM

I cashed a check that I check with the bank that issued the check and the bank also checked with the bank before cashing the check. The bank told both of us on separate days that this check was a good account and good check. Then when the check was presented to this bank they sent it back as a bad check. Do I have any recourse?

Fr_Chuck · May 3, 2010, 04:47 PM

Without more details, this sounds like one of the most well known check frauds.

You are sent a check and cash it, and send most back to them by western union, right, This fraud has been on national TV and is warned all the time.

You can report this to the police but the bad guy is most likely in some country where you can't do anything.

You pay all the money back to the bank, if fact if you don't the bank can file criminal charges against you

ballengerb1 · May 3, 2010, 05:01 PM

What was told tp you and by who when the check was given to you? Why did you get the check?

katmikrubin · May 3, 2010, 05:12 PM

I was told this was a secret shopper and yes it was for western union. I called the bank that the check told me to call it had an 800 number to the bank I called it from the internet site that I double checked the number to see if it was legit. The number was the same number on the check it said for information on the validity of this check please call this 800 number, so I did. Then when I gave him all the numbers he indicated the check was good, he even told me how much the check was for and who it was written out to. I then presented it to the bank and they also called the number from the internet and they told them the same thing.

DownUnder · May 3, 2010, 05:29 PM

You were scammed, Hook, line and sinker,Now you will have to pay the money back to the bank or you could face criminal charges.
As noted above this scam and others have been around and people are warned all the time not to fall for this.Consider this a lesson learned.

katmikrubin · May 3, 2010, 05:42 PM

Yeah I know it was stupid, but that does not help me, I do not have the money and my credit is already shot. I will be out of a job by the end of next month and I work under contract so what can they do other than get a judgment and that will be the end of it.

Fr_Chuck · May 3, 2010, 05:50 PM

They can press criminal charges for bank fraud against you if you don't pay it back, Then the criminal court ( if they don't send you to jail or prison) will put you on probation and order it paid back. The idea of merely a judgement is the least of your worry.

The number on the internet and the entire secret shopper web site is most lkely a fake so you were just being big time scamed.

1. Western Union does not use secret shoppers
2. Real secret shoppers don't get paid up front, they get repaid when they finish and send their receipts in.
3. also the most secret shoppers make from a shop is about 20 dollars, a few 25 but most are closer to 7 to 10 dollars for a shop. And then allowed about 10 to 15 dollars for a purchase.

So the idea of making several hundred or so for a shop is not seroius when you compare it.

And this is a very famous and well advertised scam

DownUnder · May 3, 2010, 06:15 PM

And if the bank presses charges and you go to court you will not only have to pay it back but will incur court costs as well. So what ever the amount you were scammed out of try to find a way to pay the bank back quickley.

katmikrubin · May 3, 2010, 06:18 PM

You seem to misunderstand I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY in no way shape or form. The bank wanted me to get a loan through them and pay it once a month at the price of 350.00 a month, cannot even pay that.

DownUnder · May 3, 2010, 06:23 PM

And you never said how much you were scammed out of. It must have been a big amount. So what other options did the bank give you?

excon · May 3, 2010, 06:25 PM

Hello kat:

You don't seem to understand that the cops don't care if you have the money or not. They'll arrest you anyway.

excon

Fr_Chuck · May 3, 2010, 06:40 PM

Let me see, get another job and take out a loan and pay them back. Or you go to criminal court and pay extra fines and still have to pay them back ( or go to jail)

ballengerb1 · May 3, 2010, 06:47 PM

I am surprised by the last two posts. The poster cashed a check that bounced and now has difficulty repaying the bank. What would he be charged with for failure to being able to repay the bank. Granted a judgement will be entered againist him and he will eventually have to pay the money back but what would he be areested for? His own bank would not cash the check unless they knew he had enough money to cover this event and they would not post the money to his account until after the float. Someone please clarify this for me, I must be missing something here.

excon · May 3, 2010, 11:22 PM

Hello b:

The check was fraudulent in a criminal sense. It wasn't just a matter of a bounced check. The cops won't care that he was an innocent victim...

Although, he might not be so innocent. He was paid a LOT of money to do NOTHING, and all he had to do was send the bulk of the money from the check to an overseas account.

Now, when you or I get something for nothing, you or I get suspicious, and won't do it. He did it.

excon

ScottGem · May 4, 2010, 04:22 AM

Originally Posted by katmikrubin

You seem to misunderstand I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY in no way shape or form. The bank wanted me to get a loan through them and pay it once a month at the price of 350.00 a month, cannot even pay that.

You don't seem to understand, that you contributed to bank fraud by cashing this check. The bank doesn't know that you weren't a part of the fraud. So they can press criminal charges. If they are asking for $350/month then this must have been a significant amount and they will prosecute.

katmikrubin · May 4, 2010, 04:22 AM

It was 3800.00 and they did not give me any other optiions

Fr_Chuck · May 4, 2010, 05:22 AM

Banks charge the person who cashed it as part of the fraud all the time, And they go to jail sometimes, probation a lot of times.

ScottGem · May 4, 2010, 05:25 AM

Originally Posted by katmikrubin

it was 3800.00 and they did not give me any other optiions

Then its probably time to get an attorney to see if you can negotiate a better deal.

I'm sorry to say, but I don't have a lot of sympathy for you. This is one of the oldest and best known scams around. For anyone to fall for it in this day and age is astounding.

DownUnder · May 4, 2010, 09:51 AM

As noted above and for the upteenth time YOU will have to pay it back. Simple as that. So get a partime job or borrow from family but pay it back now or the next thing you may see is a cop at your door and he won't be selling girl scout cookies!

excon · May 4, 2010, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by katmikrubin

it was 3800.00 and they did not give me any other optiions

Hello again, kat:

Let me see. If I ripped somebody off, and when they caught me, they offered to LOAN me the money to pay them back, and they would NOT call the cops, and the alternative being go to jail, AND pay them back anyway, I'd choose door number one. You may not be that smart.

excon