Fake Check Scams and Your Small Business | Federal Trade Commission

Learn how fake check scams work and how your small business can avoid them. A fake check scam happens when someone overpays you by check and asks you to wire them the difference, but by the time your bank realizes the check is false, the scammer has your money. Knowing how fake check scams work will help you protect your business. Learn more at https://www.ftc.gov/smallbusiness. ---------------------- Transcript: You're at your job when suddenly, a new customer sends you a check for more than they owe. They ask you to wire them the difference. They gave you a reason that seemed to make sense. So you did it. But by the time the bank knew the check was a fake, the scammer already had your money. Now you have to repay the bank. Learn how to spot scams against your small business and talk to your colleagues about it too. Learn more at ftc.gov/smallbusiness. ---------------------- The Federal Trade Commission deals with issues that touch the economic life of every American. It is the only federal agency with both consumer protection and competition jurisdiction in broad sectors of the economy. The FTC pursues vigorous and effective law enforcement; advances consumers' interests by sharing its expertise with federal and state legislatures and U.S. and international government agencies; develops policy and research tools through hearings, workshops, and conferences; and creates practical and plain-language educational programs for consumers and businesses in a global marketplace with constantly changing technologies. Comment Moderation Policy We welcome your comments and thoughts about the information on this page. If you do have something to say, please be courteous and respectful to other commenters. We won't routinely review any comments before they are posted (except for ones that contain urls and profanity), but we will delete any comments that: 1) contain spam or are off-topic 2) use vulgar language or offensive terms that target specific groups or contain personal attacks 3) are sales pitches or promotions 4) have urls or links to commercial sites 4) spread clearly misleading or false information or 5) include personal information, like home addresses

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