Help! I've been sent a cheque!

MrCarrot

The real answer is simple:

1) If it's a mistake, the money is not yours

2) If the cheque is stolen, the money is not yours

3) If the cheque is fake or won't clear, the money is not yours

If you bank the cheque, your intentions at best are to make money (interest) from someone else's mistake, or at worst to steal the lot. If you bank the cheque it doesn't matter whether the money remains in your account for two weeks or two years, it isn't yours!

And when something seems too good to be true, it usually is. For the cheque to arrive at your address bearing your full name, posted from an overseas destination, it's almost certainly a scam.

Rikki

Keep the cheque if anyone contacts you to send them money, just send them the original cheque back.

jonesMUFCforever

Rikki wrote: »

Keep the cheque if anyone contacts you to send them money, just send them the original cheque back.

That is a brilliant idea!

bumpoowee

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

The reason is that contrary to popular belief, a cheque can 'bounce' several months after being paid in - the main reason being that the cheque was stolen in the first place, which means the money was never the sender's to give in the first place, but it can take a while to trace the money.

Thats not true. After 6 days the money is yours, it can only bounce if you are a knowing party to fraud, which in this case they aren't.

http://www.bba.org.uk/bba/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=263&a=367

MyRubyRed

My advice....If you know you are not entitled to it don't take it. If you do bank it you'll be scared still to do anything with the funds and the sleepless nights won't be worth the agro. Tell the police!

ERICS_MUM

You might find that your bank wouldn't accept it anyway without being sure that it is from a legimate source / for a legitimate transaction.

diane105

Hi there - i work for a bank and if I were you I would NOT pay it in - I have come across this before within my dept. You could be accused of beneficiary fraud if you do not know where it has come from and your account could be closed - speak to the fraud department of your bank if unsure. Who is the cheque from - it shold have a drawers name on it and I don't mean Halifax - ie who has issued the cheque -do you have any dealings with them. Hope this is of some help.

mandragora_2

Want me to put it in the fire for you? We've got one lit tonight, as it's a bit chilly down here this evening.

I'm struggling to understand why you'd do anything other than chuck this away (or hand it to the bank, police or trading standards as evidence of a scam) - you're not expecting it; it's not due to you; the signature is unreadable... d'oh!! You wouldn't normally put yourself in a position to commit a crime or benefit from fraud - why would you do so now? Scams work on greed and gullibility. Don't give them either of these, and it won't be your mess to deal with.

omen666

bumpoowee wrote: »

Thats not true. After 6 days the money is yours, it can only bounce if you are a knowing party to fraud, which in this case they aren't.

http://www.bba.org.uk/bba/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=263&a=367

A Cheque can bounce some months after it has cleared, especially international cheques

realaledrinker

hillcats wrote: »

Following on from the above poster, I would also use a different bank which I had no previous connection with so that other accounts can not be affected.

Classic fraudster's modus operandi!