It seems safe because the money appears in their account — it’s only later that the check comes back as worthless. The victim must pay back the bank, and their own money is gone.
Ironically, the scam succeeds largely because of a federal law that is intended to protect consumers, not victimize them.
“By law, banks and credit unions must release at least part of a deposit whether the check is good or bad,” says Melissa Morgan, chief retail manager for Patelco Credit Union. “Which is why you should only deposit checks from someone you trust.”
Unfortunately, scammers have a way of making their victims trust them — and the fact the check deposit appears as a real credit in their account only boosts a victim’s confidence that the transaction is safe. Instead, the trap is set, and it snaps.
It happened in May to Tammy Geyerman of Concord, who thought she had finally landed a work-at-home job.
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“I was really excited. I told my father, I told my mother, hey, I got a job we’ll have plenty of money we don’t have to worry anymore.”
A person identifying himself as “Joseph Davis” emailed her saying he found her resume online and after an “interview” conducted over a texting platform, he gave her the supposed good…
