So my wife got some interesting mail

[Nurian]

I retrieved the mail and noticed my my wife got a letter.....from Canada. When opened, I saw a check (from a bank in Indiana) and a letter (from a company in Minnesota). Scanning the letter, I realize it's a job offer from "Bestmark" to be a mystery shopper. The check was to cover training expenses plus $300 extra as advanced pay. The backside of the letter indicated that they needed more information including routing numbers, etc. If she had questions, I could call a 1-806 number or email them...at a gmail account.

Not being a fg moron, I called the real Bestmark from a number I found on their website (surprise! It wasn't an 806 number). The rep told me in no uncertain terms that this was a scam and they do not send people money unless they've done a shop for them. He suggested that I not try to cash it as the check was most likely fake.

Pretty much what I expected but I wanted to share it. It's the old scam detector's rule: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

[Aethian]

Report that to the Post Office, they just committed mail fraud.

[Dreamstalker]

I think the FTC handles these types of scams as well...

[taxguykarl]

He suggested that I not try to cash it as the check was most likely fake.

No definately a fake-especially if the letter-writer is asking your wife to send some part of that check back...my dim-bulb cousin fell for that scam a year or so ago.

[Kaylyn]

I love the story of the guy that did deposit one of those fake checks, just to see what would happen. Think it was from a chain-mail scam or something, and it was a fake cashier's check for $95,000.

And the bank deposited it.

Googled the story, and I think this was it.

http://www.goodthink.com/writing/vie...d=11&page_id=2

[MoonCat]

The scary thing is, it can actually take weeks for the bank to figure that this check is worthless.

[Racket_Man]

yeah my Ex had that happen to her shortly after we split. she got a very authentic looking money order from some UK bank (Barkleys I think) for like 3000 pounds.

I tried to warn her that this was a scam but NO she put it into her account anyway (She tried to get me to deposit it in MY account. ashhhhhh NO WAY). in the meantime I tried to contact the bank via e-mail with as much information as possible including the money order number and all of the routing information and the fact that this was a VERY suspect MO. the reply I got back was very short "We are sorry buyt we only can communicate with legitimate customers of <bank>. Thank you."

well I guess they did not want to deal with forged MOs and such. my Ex's bank (about 6 weeks later) was told this MO was (no surprise here) fake AND because of the varying exchange rate my Ex lost $400 in the deal.