Scam.. or not? I got a real check for $5000

[JonathanD]

So I got a check for $5000 from Lousiana via fedex. I have no idea who sent it to me or why. The check comes from a vietnam bank and looks real. It looks so real that my bank is willing to take it as a deposit. However I did not deposit it. I am wondering if it is some sort of scam. If I cash this check could the sender get any info about me such as my Bank account #, or anything else?
Of course I would leave it in the bank for a month before I used the money. But I want to make sure the act of depositing it can not come back to bite me in the butt.

Thanks for your help.

Jonathan

 

[afinalfantasy]

I would take it to the bank to get it verified to see if it's real or not

 

[Sonic_Death]

You can never be too careful with things like that. It is probably a good idea to get it verified and make 100% sure it is legit before cashing it in.

As much as it would rock, most people don't just go getting money for no good reason; if you don't know why you have that check, that's not safe

 

[RWP]

I would like to see it. Can you scan it and post the image?
All I can tell you is it's trouble.

 

[kserg]

Yesterday I got a check for $8.25, it's real, 100% real check... with a letter... that says that if i deposit this check it means I am joining holsecrappysomething bank and that fee to join is $130.

 

[Barfly]

Why not just cash it @ Money Mart or something? So they take a %, big deal.

 

[Relic]

I wouldn't touch it with a 10' pole.

 

[kserg]

I wouldn't touch it with a 10' pole.

If you need it that bad, you can borrow my 11` pole and touch it.

 

[Relic]

If you need it that bad, you can borrow my 11` pole and touch it.

Deal. Split 50/50?

 

[MJ5150]

Interesting. The lack of any letter about cashing it for a dying army general, or cashing it and returning a portion leaves the possibility this could be legit and mistakenly sent to you. I know, slim chance.

Contact the bank it is drawn from. Look up the bank name on the internet. If it's a scam, you aren't the only one who received it so the interent will be full of stories from the other folks who received it too.

-Mike

 

[Rattman]

I wouldn't touch it with a 10' pole.

That "check" is worth about as much as is all that lovely SPAM you get in your email account each day. Put a match to it and forget you ever saw it..

 

[JansenW]

Most scams require two elements:

1. A windfall offer
2. The greed of someone.

Why do you want to cash it? Did you earn it?

They already have your address and possibly your phone number.

They expect soon to have your checking account number.

I wouldn't touch it.

 

[RWP]

I once heard that you have a better chance being sent someone else's lottery check by accident than actually winning the lottery yourself. Maybe that is what happened here. The odds finally caught up to you!

 

[onewebfoot]

Jonathon - aside from minor differences, does your situation sound like a variation of the nigerian check scam? and what is your online background? have you been doing online selling in recent year? my concern is that natural processing of a check, once deposited, somehow gets the creator of that check additional information about your banking.

Otherwise, this site has a ton of scam descriptions: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[JonathanD]

Do most of the people in the USA "earn" their money compaired to people that work 10X as hard and make 1/100th as much? Why do I want it? because it would ad 50% to my yearly income and maybe I would only have to work 30 hours a week and go to school. Also, honeymoon coming up...I could get into a lot of trouble in vegas with $5000!!!

Most scams require two elements:

1. A windfall offer
2. The greed of someone.

Why do you want to cash it? Did you earn it?

They already have your address and possibly your phone number.

They expect soon to have your checking account number.

I wouldn't touch it.

 

[JonathanD]

Thanks you rock!

Jonathon - aside from minor differences, does your situation sound like a variation of the nigerian check scam? and what is your online background? have you been doing online selling in recent year? my concern is that natural processing of a check, once deposited, somehow gets the creator of that check additional information about your banking.

Otherwise, this site has a ton of scam descriptions: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[JonathanD]

So, my internet background is Bass forums, Ebay, paypal, email and thats it. Oh an amazon.com I casn
I would rather not scan it. I am going to go back to the bank and verify it. I will do this after checkin out the site about scams.


Jonathan

 

[soulgeezer]

Have you ever looked at the back of a cancelled check? Account number, routing number, etc., etc.

If you cash that check, your account will be empty in a week. Guaranteed.

 

[andrewd]

Have you ever looked at the back of a cancelled check? Account number, routing number, etc., etc.

If you cash that check, your account will be empty in a week. Guaranteed.

Or he could open a new account for that check, that isn't tied to his normal account.

 

[Son of Magni]

Or he could open a new account for that check, that isn't tied to his normal account.

Took the words right out of my mouth