Check-cashing scams - Anyone know about them?

[totalnoob]

I received a check for $2,100 today (made out to me) from a company called ICOL. The return address ended up in an office building of another state, and as far as I know, I have no business with them. There was no note with the check, and none of the typical scammer requests I do anything (such as cashing it and transferring part of the money elsewhere.) It looks like a simple payroll check with no strings attached.

Red flags are obviously going up in my head..but my question is, what do I have to lose by depositing it? If I open a brand new savings account and simply deposit the check, worst case scenario I'm out the bounced check fee of $29. What would you do in this situation?

*Edit** Called the bank. Manager said several cases of fraud were associated with the account. Apparently the scammer sent me the check but forgot to include the note asking me to wire part of it back to him..just an oversight on his part I guess.

 

[deadlyapp]

Don't do it. Call the bank its drawn on and ask them about it. More than likely you'll just get a red flag up at the bank when they see you depositing this from their account.

Edit:
I received a check from a business account drawn on a bank in some other bumfuck state that I had no business with. I called the bank and they told me that I was the 10th person to call about this today as people had been trying to cash checks drawn on this account all day. I was able to give them some information from the fedex package it was sent from and some other stuff, so any details you can give the bank are useful.

Usually the company name is fake, but the account number checks out and the routing number is real. It will pass a cursory check at the cashing bank, but when it gets actually checked by the originating bank it will bounce and you'll be in for some trouble.

 

[DrPizza]

Maybe they have all of your information (easy to get) except for one last little tidbit: they don't have your bank account number. You deposit the phony check. Somehow, they manage to get your account's routing number as a result.

Super-wild guess on my part; someone else may know if this is somehow feasible.

 

[Lifted]

Your Honor, I only opened the new account so "they" couldn't get to my real account.

Who are "they"?

The ones who sent me the check.

Are you saying you were not expecting the check, so you opened a new account and deposited it there?

Yes.

:hmm:

 

[LTC8K6]

http://www.consumerfraudreporting.org/checkcashingscams.php

 

[Skillet49]

Confirm with the bank the check is drawn on that the check is good first. I worked at a bank when I was in college and occasionally people would deposit these checks (despite us telling them not to) and IIRC sure enough, the check would bounce and the "company" would drain their account.

 

[totalnoob]

http://www.consumerfraudreporting.org/checkcashingscams.php

No scam letter is involved here, and no demands for anything at all. Just a regular check issued from Chase bank.

Thanks for the other advice yall...gonna call the originating bank and see what's up. If it's a scam account, the check goes in the trash. If everything checks out, I'll open a new savings acct, deposit it, and leave it alone for a few months to see what happens.

 

[Gibson486]

SO, what happens when you cash it at a check cashing place?

 

[LTC8K6]

There's a link at the link in my post where you can check out the routing number on the check, among other useful links regarding various check frauds...

 

[totalnoob]

Thanks bro

 

[PokerGuy]

I know these things are all scams, I just wonder what the scam angle is in this case. If they don't ask you to wire money back or anything like that, what good would it do the scammer to have you deposit the check and then have it bounce?

 

[skull]

SO, what happens when you cash it at a check cashing place?

They call to find out if its legit before they cash it. Most of them take all your info before they will cash checks for you anyway. So im sure it would still come back on you some how if you managed to cash it.

 

[yhelothar]

I know these things are all scams, I just wonder what the scam angle is in this case. If they don't ask you to wire money back or anything like that, what good would it do the scammer to have you deposit the check and then have it bounce?

This. I'm wondering this also.