# Is this a scam? Need help fast-ish \[issue resolved\] **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 20, 2015, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-need-help-fast-ish-issue-resolved/710414 "2015-01-20T21:33:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-need-help-fast-ish-issue-resolved/710414/21 "2015-01-21T01:16:00Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > This is really bad advice for two reasons. > > One reason is that there is no period of time after which fraudulently transferred money will be yours to keep. The normal 10 days or so for a check to clear just means that there’s money in the account it’s drawn on and no obvious red flags were raised. It’s not proof that the check was valid. Think of it this way. If I stole a check from you and wrote a check for the full value of your account, your bank would process it and transfer the funds. If you, a month later, noticed that something was up, you would _totally get your money back_, and you’d get it back from whoever the funds had been transferred to. This is like buying stolen property. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve had it. It’s not yours, and you have to give it back. > > The second reason is that depositing a check that you have good reason to believe is fraudulent is itself a crime in many places. And even if it isn’t, you may get caught up in a fraud investigation that’s _way_ more trouble than it’s worth. His post was made when the check was believed to be $100. I wouldn’t think that anyone was trying to scam me out of a mutt. Cashing the check is a perfectly reasonable thing to do in that scenario. Now that we know the check is for $1700, it’s obviously a scam. Report to the authorities. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-need-help-fast-ish-issue-resolved/710414/22 "2015-01-21T01:43:03Z")
$1700?!? Wow, that’s really blatant. ---
**Author:** ![Boogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Boogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogly)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-need-help-fast-ish-issue-resolved/710414/23 "2015-01-21T01:48:24Z")
I told her what I thought and she went to the ‘issuing’ bank with what information she has. Phone numbers, addresses, check and conversations. I told her that I’d string the people along for a bit, waiting for the check to clear, to give the bank a little bit of time to take action. **LurkerInNJ** If you are permitted to say, what is the usual course of action if someone brings in a bad check? Does the bank take over everything or do they work with the public to try and catch scammers? eta: She didn’t go to the bank to cash the check but to let them know something might be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Boogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Boogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogly)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-need-help-fast-ish-issue-resolved/710414/24 "2015-01-21T01:57:05Z")
Final update unless something else pops up. The bank will report it to the fraud department and that is all my niece was told. Hopefully with the info given something can be done. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-need-help-fast-ish-issue-resolved/710414/25 "2015-01-21T02:02:04Z")
As others have indicated it’s an obvious scam if the check is for $ 1700 but I am curious about the scam procedure here and what appear to be some missing parts in this story. When you questioned her initially did she say the check she was expecting was for 1700 and she was to give 1600 back to the sender? Was this information she had that she chose not to share with you? Normally the scammer will tell the seller ahead of time the check is for more and they expect a refund back. Who is the person getting the dog in this setup? It’s odd for a check scam to involve a locally accessible person. . ---
**Author:** ![Boogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Boogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogly)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-need-help-fast-ish-issue-resolved/710414/26 "2015-01-21T02:10:12Z")
> [@astro](#): > > As others have indicated it’s an obvious scam if the check is for $ 1700 but I am curious about the scam procedure here and what appear to be some missing parts in this story. > > When you questioned her initially did she say the check she was expecting was for 1700 and she was to give 1600 back to the sender? Was this information she had that she chose not to share with you? Normally the scammer will tell the seller ahead of time the check is for more and they expect a refund back. > > Who is the person getting the dog in this setup? It’s odd for a check scam to involve a locally accessible person. > > . As far as I know she was not aware that there was going to be more money than was asked for. When she first told me that someone out of state was buying a pup I was concerned because it would be far easier and quicker to wire money to family up here. She doesn’t know who was supposed to pick up the puppy, all she did was text people. The bank was given this information. Of course I am not saying that I know all the details, she could have been told she would get a check for more than the asked amount. I didn’t grill her on details because she is an adult now. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-need-help-fast-ish-issue-resolved/710414/27 "2015-01-21T03:00:12Z")
I bet they produce some strange reason that things had to be done this way, then ask the niece to “do the right thing” and send the extra money back, maybe saying she can keep an extra $50 for her trouble. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-need-help-fast-ish-issue-resolved/710414/28 "2015-01-21T04:17:47Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > His post was made when the check was believed to be $100. I wouldn’t think that anyone was trying to scam me out of a mutt. Cashing the check is a perfectly reasonable thing to do in that scenario. The advice is still really bad. If you’re worried about whether a check is legit, depositing it is not a good plan because (1) it won’t resolve the question, and (2), it could cause you a lot of trouble. It’s frustrating to see people continue to suggest “waiting for a check to clear” as though it were any kind of protection against attempted fraud. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-need-help-fast-ish-issue-resolved/710414/29 "2015-01-21T04:35:43Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > If the scam is that it is a rubber check, I can’t think of a way to tell that without looking at the check. It is possible to FedEx a rubber check. Another red flag is that they sent it Fedex. If they had sent it through the US Postal Service, they would be on the hook for federal mail fraud charges. That doesn’t apply to private services like UPS and Fedex. ---
**Author:** ![Boogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Boogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogly)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-need-help-fast-ish-issue-resolved/710414/30 "2015-01-21T04:45:17Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > Another red flag is that they sent it Fedex. If they had sent it through the US Postal Service, they would be on the hook for federal mail fraud charges. That doesn’t apply to private services like UPS and Fedex. I didn’t know that but the fact that they mailed a check for my niece is what set flags off for me. Wiring money should be quicker and easier than mailing a check. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-need-help-fast-ish-issue-resolved/710414/31 "2015-01-21T04:52:41Z")
Whichever bank (or other) she deposits the check will have specific rules about availability of funds. Good customers with long histories are “credited” the face value upon deposit. My bank has a 5 day hold during which it can reverse the deposit. On the 6th day, I would give the people a puppy. Not before. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-need-help-fast-ish-issue-resolved/710414/32 "2015-01-21T05:03:30Z")
> [@Boogly](#): > > I didn’t know that but the fact that they mailed a check for my niece is what set flags off for me. > > Wiring money should be quicker and easier than mailing a check. Faster yes, but the one time I wired money somewhere I had to do it in person at the bank branch, and there was a fee involved. For a 100 dollar puppy, the fee (20 bucks or whatever) is a huge percentage of the cost. I’d definitely mail the check in that scenario. But with everything else you’ve said, you did the right thing by getting the bank’s fraud department involved. They absolutely sent the money Fedex to avoid federal mail fraud charges, it’s a pretty well known approach. ---
**Author:** ![Boogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Boogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogly)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-need-help-fast-ish-issue-resolved/710414/33 "2015-01-21T05:08:53Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Faster yes, but the one time I wired money somewhere I had to do it in person at the bank branch, and there was a fee involved. > > For a 100 dollar puppy, the fee (20 bucks or whatever) is a huge percentage of the cost. I’d definitely mail the check in that scenario. > > But with everything else you’ve said, you did the right thing by getting the bank’s fraud department involved. They absolutely sent the money Fedex to avoid federal mail fraud charges, it’s a pretty well known approach. Woah, I thought that money transfers (Fred Meyers, Wal Mart) were a lot cheaper than that. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-need-help-fast-ish-issue-resolved/710414/34 "2015-01-21T05:28:10Z")
The one time (1990’s) I used the bank’s “Wire Transfer”, it cost $35.00 to have the teller spend 3 minutes on a specific terminal at the rear of the window. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-need-help-fast-ish-issue-resolved/710414/35 "2015-01-21T05:43:50Z")
c’mon guys - the extra money is so they can build the mutt a proper house (it is alaska) and some food. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-need-help-fast-ish-issue-resolved/710414/36 "2015-01-21T06:03:31Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Who is the person getting the dog in this setup? It’s odd for a check scam to involve a locally accessible person. > > . My guess is that there is no local person. She cashes the check, sends back the extra money… Then “something” comes up and “they” can’t get the dog. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-need-help-fast-ish-issue-resolved/710414/37 "2015-01-21T12:36:30Z")
Op is being asked to wash a check, possibly good (but likely bad) for a person they don’t know with the check coming from out of state for a $100 transaction? Run. “Nope, cash only”, works too. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-need-help-fast-ish-issue-resolved/710414/38 "2015-01-21T12:56:50Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > The advice is still really bad. If you’re worried about whether a check is legit, depositing it is not a good plan because (1) it won’t resolve the question, and (2), it could cause you a lot of trouble. > > It’s frustrating to see people continue to suggest “waiting for a check to clear” as though it were any kind of protection against attempted fraud. Cashing a $100 check, which is the price you’re asking for a mutt, is not a bad idea. There would be no reason to assume it isn’t legit. That was my point upthread. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-need-help-fast-ish-issue-resolved/710414/39 "2015-01-21T13:07:02Z")
The thing that sets off my scam alarm - if a local person was to come pick up the dog, why wouldn’t that person get the check, cash it, then pay for the dog in cash? This is like when my mother tried to sell some old carpeting. She was asking all of $50, and someone contacted her without even seeing the carpet saying he wanted it and he’d send a check. Then he contacted her and said his “assistant” accidentally made the check out for too much, so could she cash the check and send the difference back. Luckily, Mom forwarded the email to me because she was suspicious and I told her it was a scam. A week later, she sold the carpeting after modifying her ad to read CASH ONLY. That’s become our standard for any ad we post - CASH ONLY. Altho we’re about to sell a motorcycle, and we’ll take a cashier’s check from a local bank, which we’ll verify before we turn over the bike. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-need-help-fast-ish-issue-resolved/710414/40 "2015-01-21T14:10:06Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > That’s become our standard for any ad we post - CASH ONLY. Altho we’re about to sell a motorcycle, and we’ll take a cashier’s check from a local bank, which we’ll verify before we turn over the bike. Heck I sold a car for $8000 and required cash. The buyer seemed fine with it. It was a fairly large envelope but not as big as you might imagine. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-need-help-fast-ish-issue-resolved/710414.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-need-help-fast-ish-issue-resolved/710414.md?page=3)