|
|
|
Local law enforcement are warning people against scams involving fraudulent checks.
One of the scams happened through craigstlist.org. A male victim said he responded to a job ad and began corresponding with someone about the job. He sent his resume and believed he was hired for the job which involved accounting work.
The victim told Columbia police that the company sent him a check for $2,434 and told him to send a portion of the money to another location. He deposited the check into his account and sent the money by Western Union. The victim's bank contacted him to let him know the check was fraudulent, but they money had already been sent out of his account.
Columbia police said the second scam involved a letter by email. A female victim reported to police that she received an email fro another female along with a copy of a check from a local title company. The check was for $986. The female was sending the email to the complainant to make sure the check was legitimate since she received it through a secret shopping company.
When the complainant and her boss looked into the account numbers on the check, there was no authorization for any individual to write a check under the account for any amount of money through the Secret Shopping Company. The check was not cashed and no money is missing.
Here are some safety tips:
1.) Never send money or give out personal information such as credit card numbers and expiration dates, bank account numbers, dates of birth, or social security numbers to unfamiliar companies or unknown persons.
2.) If you call the number back that called you to verify the information and a recording picks up not stating the name of the company this is a scam.
3.) Make a phone call to verify.
4.) Before you send money, ask yourself a simple question. "What guarantee do I have that this solicitor will use my money in the manner we agreed upon?"
5.) Be skeptical - Always take your time making a decision. Legitimate companies won't pressure you to make a snap decision.
6.) Take Safety Precautions - Don't pay by credit card, cash or money order.
7.) If something doesn't seem right it's not right.
If you have information about a fraud, report it to a law enforcement agency.
Popular Stories
|
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKRCG