As shoppers hunt
for deals this holiday season, it's crucial to be aware of scammers.
John Henry, of Hartsdale, received a FedEx package with a check for nearly $3,000 to be a
mystery shopper. Luckily, he picked
up on one of the most common red flags with scams— poor grammar.
"It's the holidays, there's a lot of
scammers trying to take advantage of seniors and anyone they can,"
Henry says.
He was targeted in a common check
scam. These usually start with a check in
the mail sent to a secret shopper. The recipient is instructed to keep some
money and send the rest to "test in-store" money wires, and buy gift
cards that you send back images of— both common red flags for scams, as both
are like sending cash.
As for the check, banks will make money
available in days but take weeks to realize it's fake. Once that
happens, it'll bounce and leave the person who was targeted on the hook for the
money.
Better Business
Bureau President Claire
Rosenzweig says, "Watch out for
unsolicited offers. Check to be sure it is a legitimate offer. Whenever it
involves a check being sent to you, it's a warning sign."
The Federal
Trade Commission put out a warning this
week for another check scam that targets college students with part-time work.