September 30, 2020
Common Fake Check Scams and How to Avoid Them
These scams are able to fool unsuspecting consumers who may not completely understand that even though a bank account may show the funds as “available”, this doesn’t mean the check has “cleared”. Fraudsters know that banks must make funds available in an account within several days, yet it often can take weeks to discover that the check was fake. When it is, the amount of the fake check deposit is removed from the customer’s account. As a result, they are out the money they sent to the fraudster and because it was sent voluntarily, the bank is not obligated to cover the loss.