I did some digging, and found out how this works. The check you receive is a fraudulent check, however it IS associated with a REAL checking account. It is probably printed from their home computer. Hell, I can print checks from my Quicken program at home, and can buy check blanks at any office store. The checking account belongs to some unknown and unsuspecting person though. The check WILL eventually clear, supposing the account it is associated with has sufficient funds. If not, then it will come back "bounced." My guess is, before they send it, they call that bank and "verify" sufficient funds before issueing the check, as if they received a check from that account and are verifying funds before deposit. So, you cash it and wire the funds to them. Eventually, the owner of the checking account you withdrew it from reports an unauthorized transaction, and they trace it to YOUR account. YOU, then, are responsible for paying that back, along with a $20 bounced check fee. All along, the person you sent the money to has that money AND your account number since it's a "wire" transfer. Soon, YOUR account numbers will be at the bottom of a check going to someone else, who may withdraw that money from YOUR account to send to them, in an endless cycle. They get away with this because as soon as you send the money, they disconnect that phone number, and use bank accounts in probably Switzerland or Caymans that have laws protecting the information of the bank owners, so FBI can't even find out who is behind it. Or simply open and close bank accounts, using them only once. You can easily set up accounts online. Chances are, they've used a fake identity to obtain the phone number and bank account anyways, and never do business at the bank in person, to avoid being set up. They probably use wireless internet to transfer money, hopping off someone else's wireless connection, or random public connections to avoid pinpointing an ISP to themselves. VERY smart, but VERY deceptive. Unfortunately people fall for this. The people who come up with these schemes are apparently VERY intelligent to figure this out, why don't they funnel that intelligence into a legit occupation? Probably won't make as much money, that's why.

My husband received a check from Rollinstone for $2000. It came by UPS this morning. There were no instructions or letter to advise how we got this fortune. He called the bank givng all the information on the check and advised him it was a fraud.

Question: How do they gain if we cash the check. Our bank would just deduct the money they gave us when they find out it was a fraud. We would probably be charged a service fee for the bad check. But how do the scam artists get paid? They have made the investment in shipping charges so there must be a way they profit. Would our bank give the scam artists the $2000 then when it was revealed the check was fraud, our bank would charge him the money.

I would hope the banks are more sophisticated and would not give my husband the money unless they verified the check was good

Your comments

If you receive an email or letter in the post / regular mail saying you won a lottery and they send you a check? Or you sold something on Ebay and the buyer paid with a check? Or you took out a loan from a distant or online bank and they sent you a check? You can just take the check to your bank and cash it right? Well it talks about money; so don’t wait for your turn to be fooled by any of the scammers. Some say it is the love of money that is the root of all evil. Others say that the only people, who believe that, are the ones who don't have any money. Regardless, it seems so much more important during a recession. More people are getting payday loans yet donations to foundations and charitable contributions have increased from some people. (Some no doubt in order to get a tax break, but hey – every little bit counts.) How do you feel about payday loans and money?

The economy is so much different now. Concern has been growing over the solvency of some banks amid the housing slump and the steep slide in the mortgage market. The pressures of tighter credit, tumbling home prices and rising foreclosures have been battering banks of all sizes nationwide. Banks are in trouble. The banks that need the most help, the smaller banks in communities, are usually the ones that get ignored while the biggest ones, that made campaign contributions we might add, (as we cough sarcastically) are the ones that get the short term loans from the stimulus package. However, after we gave them all that money, they don't want to lend it. Less mortgage loans are being lent, and less aid is available for students. What happened to the short term loan we gave the banks?

it was to be deposited in my account for state and federal taxes, and to call this Andrea Martins so she could tell me how to go about going to Wal-Mart(any Wal-Mart) with the tax money and send it to certain tax agents! Now, I owe my bank $3,875.00-well I hope this Andrea Martins burns in the firery pits of hell! She also needs to understand that there is a higher power, she'll have to deal with when it time for her judgement day! There is one individual I do not mess with and that's GOD! He knows all, sees all and hears all-so I hope she reads this and starts to become real scared!

I recieve one of the checks but I cashed the check. Will I go to jail or wats going to happen?!?!

I was suspicious as always and went straight to Google and found this website. Thank God for Google! I'm going to spread the word to friends and co-workers and report them to the proper authorities.

I fell victim to this scam! Got a letter in the mail last week stating March 2008 in the second category Congratulations-I won $55,000.00 and of course a check in the amount of $3,875.00 was in the envelope stating that it was to be deposited in my account for state and federal taxes, and to call this Andrea Martins so she could tell me how to go about going to Wal-Mart(any Wal-Mart) with the tax money and send it to certain tax agents! Now, I owe my bank $3,875.00-well I hope this Andrea Martins burns in the firery pits of hell! She also needs to understand that there is a higher power, she'll have to deal with when it time for her judgement day! There is one individual I do not mess with and that's GOD! He knows all, sees all and hears all-so I hope she reads this and starts to become real scared! It's not us the people she has to worry about in the end, it's GOD himself! THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THIS TO HONEST, HARD WORKING AMERICANS LIKE ME, I FEEL SORRY FOR THEM WHEN THEY HAVE TO MEET UP WITH GOD HIMSELF! NOT TOO MENTION I HAVE TWO CHILDREN AND MY YOUNGEST IS VERY ILL! I DID NOT NEED THIS KIND OF HEARTACHE IN MY LIFE! ANYONE WHO IS READING THIS PLEASE DON'T FALL VICTIM LIKE I DID! I WILL NEVER LET MY GUARD DOWN AGAIN! I WILL BE THE TYPE TO INVESTIGATE!!!!!

complete fraud. check is designed to cash to unknowing banks and then after you've spent it the bank needs to recover any of the money you've spent and spend 3-4 grand and see how fast you credit goes to shit. don't cash the check and don't send them money for christ sake!

i got a check from north american sweepstake for 4900.00 i cash it so what can i do to make this right i cash it at a local store what can i do

I received a check this morning--it was delivered UPS Next Day Air Early AM--and it was made out to me, ostensibly form Stanley Supply & Services. It doesn't have any of the obvious mistakes that were mentioned here earlier--no wrong address, incomplete routing number--but it IS a funky-looking check from a company with which I have no business relationship, which came unsolicited with no note attached.

I wrote in an earlier comment about depositing the check and having my bank look into it. They called me back and said the check is no good... I also called principal financial group and they also said it is a scam. You can check it out yourselves at www.Principal.com or call principal at 1-800-986-3343 and they will confirm for you that this is in fact a scam. There are apparently several varities out there, but all in all, they are frauds. Luckily I am only out $20 for the processing fee from my bank... Good luck to all...

I also received a letter stating I won and a $3200 check. I deposited the check thinking it was real because it looks so real. I have called my bank and told them that I need to know if the check is part of a fraud scam or not and they are looking into it for me right now. Call your bank and ask them about the check. I have no other advice yet as Im in the same situation..

If one deposits checks from North Amereican or any others resembling this scam, you are asked to send all or part of the money to the sender (in another country) per wire transfer, money order or cashier's check. The check you deposit from these scam artists is a fake check designed to look real. The consequence is there's no way to make the check good or retrieve the money you've been asked to send.

Don't deposit ANY checks that just suddenly appear. You lose and the scam artists make millions.
SAM

I have read serveral comments about this scam, and have no doubt it is a scam. But what would actually happen if one were to deposit the check?