WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, Aug. 13, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — West Valley City police are warning the public of a fake check scam.
A tweet from the West Valley City Police Department Tuesday afternoon said: “Recently we’ve seen an uptick in fake check scams. They work like this: someone overpays you for something. They always seem to have a good reason why they do this. They claim they’re out of the country, they need you to cover taxes or fees or they need you to buy supplies.”
The scammer then convinces the person to purchase things for them, like gift cards or other items, the tweet said, or they have you wire them some of the money to them and they tell you that you can keep the extra cash.
“But when the bank discovers you’ve deposited a bad check, you’re stuck paying the money back to the bank,” the tweet continues. “Uncovering a fake check can take weeks and if a check bounces, even after it seemed to clear, you are responsible for paying back the bank. Do not deposit a check and wire money or send back money in any way.”
WVC officials requested that residents share the post with others who might not be on social media, particularly the elderly.
“Sit down with them and have a conversation about this scam and how to avoid it,” the tweet said.
For more on fake check scams click here.
