Watch for Fake Treasury Checks
Friday, Jan 4, 2008
LITTLE ROCK— Fake check scams are not uncommon or new; however, in certain parts of northeast Arkansas, consumers have recently received checks in the mail that appear to be from the United States Treasury. The check is similar to a tax-refund check in design and is accompanied by a generic letter, which instructs the consumer to contact the sender as soon as the check is cashed. If the consumer does contact the sender, it is likely that that consumer will be instructed to provide bank account information or be instructed to wire money to a third party as part of the transaction. Either action by the consumer would put the consumer’s funds at risk.
With tax season right around the corner, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel issued this consumer alert to warn consumers about this recent counterfeit check scam.
"Using high-tech equipment and borrowing a trusted government name, like the Treasury, scammers can make checks look very real, and consumers can easily fall victim," said McDaniel. “The simple thing consumers should remember is that if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is."
To avoid falling victim to a counterfeit check scheme, here are some tips to remember:
- Don't try to collect on money you are not expecting to receive;
- If you receive a check bearing a known name or brand, like the United States Treasury
Department, call the agency independently, not the number provided with the
correspondence that accompanied the check, to verify the check's authenticity;
- Never give out your personal bank account information to anyone you don't know and
don't trust;
- Never accept money without knowing its source;
- Never wire money to anyone you do not personally know; and
- If you take the check to the bank, ask that it be verified and do not withdraw your own
funds until the check has cleared, a process that can take days or even weeks.
If you believe you have been a victim of a counterfeit check scheme, you may contact the Public Protection Department of the Arkansas Attorney General's office at 501-682-2341 or toll-free, statewide at 1-800-482-8982.
