HELP! Check Nightmare

[PayrollHRGuy]

And a righteous fear it is.

You seriously need to sit down with a lawyer.

 

[cbenoist]

so....i'm essentially screwed. The account holder set me up and i'm being naive and stupid

 

[cbenoist]

And a righteous fear it is.

You seriously need to sit down with a lawyer.

I can't afford a lawyer....I can't afford anything. I really was under the impression that I was legally authorized to write checks on the account. If I hadn't been I never would have. I even have the messages where I specifically asked the OP about it, to make sure I was in the clear.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

I can't afford a lawyer....I can't afford anything. I really was under the impression that I was legally authorized to write checks on the account. If I hadn't been I never would have. I even have the messages where I specifically asked the OP about it, to make sure I was in the clear.

Where and how did you cash the checks? Did you do this at YOUR bank by depositing the checks into YOUR account and then getting the money?

 

[cbenoist]

I didn't think anything of all this at first. So I wrote the check to my mother and had her cash it. I had told the OP that that's what I would have to do as I only have Simple. No problem he said....again, I have proof via chat messages. I know this was a dumb thing to do....I was naive and trusting. I had no reason to believe that anything was illegal until last night...when everything blew up

 

[coolmaltese]

This sounds like a variation of the old middleman check cashing scam. The scammers at some point will ask for reimbursement by gift cards (GooglePlay, iTunes, Green Dot, Visa Gift Cards, etc.) or direct wire of funds or Western Union or similar.

 

[cbenoist]

This sounds like a variation of the old middleman check cashing scam. The scammers at some point will ask for reimbursement by gift cards (GooglePlay, iTunes, Green Dot, Visa Gift Cards, etc.) or direct wire of funds or Western Union or similar.

And that's where my distrust and suspicion landed me last night. Which is why I blocked him and other parties he had messaged me....I at that time realized that things weren't at all what they seemed.

 

[Just Blue]

I didn't think anything of all this at first. So I wrote the check to my mother and had her cash it. I had told the OP that that's what I would have to do as I only have Simple. No problem he said....again, I have proof via chat messages. I know this was a dumb thing to do....I was naive and trusting. I had no reason to believe that anything was illegal until last night...when everything blew up

In general total strangers don't gift you thousands of dollars. And honestly one has to have lived under a rock to not realize this.

Curious...How old are you?

 

[cbenoist]

In general total strangers don't gift you thousands of dollars. And honestly one has to have lived under a rock to not realize this.

Curious...How old are you?

I naively believed that there were good people out there who really wanted to just help someone who is struggling just to get by. i'm 39...again...naive

 

[quincy]

and that is my fear. Like I have all the proof about the money issue via chat. I don't have the money, I don't have anything...

Oh. There are more problems here than what I saw originally.

It appears now that the scammer might have gotten ahold of someone else's check and doctored the check to make you an account holder. You withdrew money from someone else's checking account.

The check might not bounce if there was money in the account and the real account holder has not realized he is a victim of identity theft. If he does realize he is a victim, and stops payment on the check, you are the one police will come looking for because you were the one whose name was on the check and you were the one who withdrew funds.

You probably SHOULD speak to an attorney before filing complaints. You could very well be looked at as less of another victim of a scammer and more as a forger and a thief.

 

[Taxing Matters]

That is why I suggest having the drawer email a copy of the cleared check to the payee. The drawer can generally see an image of the check as soon as it clears. If the check if a fake, there's no way the writer would have an image of the payee's signature.

Actually, it is possible that image would be available even if the check hasn't yet cleared. Bank systems vary on how they do that.

 

[Mass_Shyster]

Actually, it is possible that image would be available even if the check hasn't yet cleared. Bank systems vary on how they do that.

True, but if he's not the account holder, he wouldn't have access to that image.

 

[cbenoist]

Oh. There are more problems here than what I saw originally.

It appears now that the scammer might have gotten ahold of someone else's check and doctored the check to make you an account holder. You withdrew money from someone else's checking account.

The check might not bounce if there was money in the account and the real account holder has not realized he is a victim of identity theft. If he does realize he is a victim, and stops payment on the check, you are the one police will come looking for because you were the one whose name was on the check and you were the one who withdrew funds.

You probably SHOULD speak to an attorney before filing complaints. You could very well be looked at as less of another victim of a scammer and more as a forger and a thief.

The check(s) in question are legitimate checks. I talked to the bank listed on the checks and they advised me to speak to my financial orginzation to discuss a payment plan to pay back the money and keep us in good standing. They believe the checks were sent to me in an attempt to scam the bank. Either way, since I did contact them, they are working with me to prevent legal action, I just have to get a hold of the bank that the check was cashed at to work something out

 

[quincy]

The check(s) in question are legitimate checks. I talked to the bank listed on the checks and they advised me to speak to my financial orginzation to discuss a payment plan to pay back the money and keep us in good standing. They believe the checks were sent to me in an attempt to scam the bank. Either way, since I did contact them, they are working with me to prevent legal action, I just have to get a hold of the bank that the check was cashed at to work something out

Okay. Good. Working with the bank is smart. You should also, then, go ahead and file your reports with the State and with the police.

And you still should speak to an attorney.

Good luck.

 

[Mass_Shyster]

they advised me to speak to my financial orginzation to discuss a payment plan to pay back the money

But earlier you wrote

The check was cashed on the 11t

So if the check was cashed three days ago, don't you still have that money? Why do you need a payment plan?