Cashier’s check scams growing common

Federal officials say perpetrators of fraud are becoming more and more expert about making genuine-looking cashier’s checks that quite literally aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on.

At the same time, these scammers are also finding a growing number of ways to persuade you to part with your money. Here are some of the most common schemes to avoid:

. An online buyer creates a fake cashier’s check and sends the worthless document to a seller as payment for a product.

. A buyer sends a phony cashier’s check for an amount greater than the price of a product for sale and asks the person who cashes the check to wire the difference back to the buyer.

. The victim receives a letter and a fake check saying he has won money; all that’s required is payment of a “transfer tax” or other made-up fee.

. The victim receives a letter inviting him to act as a mystery shopper. The letter includes a fake check, with instructions to keep part of it as payment and transfer the rest to a third party.

In these and similar scenarios, the amount of the cashier’s check may be immediately “available” for withdrawal. However, that doesn’t mean the check is legitimate. The proceeds don’t belong to you if the check turns out to be fraudulent, and it may take several weeks for a check to clear. When a fake check is returned, the bank reverses the deposit and withdraws the amount from the duped customer’s account.

Most scam artists will ask for a wire transfer of funds. Such a transaction is immediate and can’t be reversed once it is made. So if you wire funds to a fraud artist and find out later that his check was phony, you’ll owe the bank the full amount of the check.

To avoid such rip-offs, watch out for the usual “red flags” that tip off wary consumers. Take a good look at any such check you receive. If it appears to have been altered or if words are misspelled, destroy it at once. You can find out if the check is genuine by contacting the bank on which the check is written. Do not call any telephone number you find on the check; instead, obtain reliable contact information through the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s Web site, www2.fdic.gov/idasp.

Don’t accept a check that’s written for more than the amount of a purchase. Ask why a stranger would trust you with funds that should be going to a third party. And insist on a cashier’s check that’s drawn on a local bank. A cashier’s check is less risky than other financial instruments only if it is genuine.

If you are victimized by a cashier’s check scammer, you should notify the Federal Trade Commission by calling 877-FTC-HELP or online at www.ftc.gov. Internet-based fraud can be reported to the FBI’s Internet Fraud Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. Report mail scams to the U.S. Postal Inspector Service by telephone at 888-877-7644 or online at www.usps.com/postal inspectors/fraud/MailFraudComplaint.htm.

Consumer Forum is a collaboration, now in its 30th year, of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast CONTACT, Maine’s membership-funded nonprofit consumer organization. Individual and business memberships are available at modest rates. Interested and motivated prospective volunteers are always needed and welcomed to apply to help with our mission. For assistance with consumer-related issues, including consumer fraud and identity theft, or for more information, write: Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor ME 04402-1329.