Cashing a Strange Check
 

Yesterday in the mail I recieved a Cashier's Check for $500. It was not only unexpected but from a name I did not recognize. I have attempted to google his name, have contacted a couple of people who I thought might know about it, and in general have come up empty.

So do I go ahead and cash it? Or do I try and find out what it's for before I do it?

I just consulted with Common Sense, and he says "Hell no."

Seems to me this is one of 2 situations:
1) The check is some sort of scam; you should not cash it.
2) The check was sent to you in error; it's is not your money and you should not cash it.

I can rule #1 out as the bank verified that it was a legitimate cashier's check.

I would have to think #2 is possible if not likely though with them having my unpublished address and name it makes for a strange coincidence.

The bank doesn't have contact info connected to the check?

Not that they could give to me.

If it has his name on it, it's probably not in error, though.

...and there's no little fine print anywhere about "by cashing this check, you agree to.....blah...blah...blah"?

Well I'm the only person to have voted to cash the cheque - but I stand by my vote :D

Personally if someone wants to send me money then I'll happily spend it - simple as that, you don't have to know me to send me money all donations gratefully recieved ... plus a cashiers cheque isn't something people generally would make a mistake with not to the extent of both the name AND the address its sent to being wrong, surely? ...

As such if its an anonymous donation then take it as a gift, perhaps one of your family has won the lottery and decided to help you out but doesn't want the hassle of you feeling indebted to them ? ....

The check looks very similar to other Cahsier's Checks I've seen.

My concern would be that the cashier's check really is counterfeit. I know that the bank claimed that it was legitimate, but you don't know that for sure until it actually clears. If you can take the thing someplace and cash it immediately, then I guess it's relatively OK. If you deposit it at your bank, don't dare spend the money for at least a couple of weeks.

If it is cunterfeit though then what could happen? - worst case is it bouncing surely? ... after all you can't arrest every business that accidentally attempts to bank a forged $10 note they recieve ... same situation really.

If he deposits the check into his bank account and it turns out to be counterfeit, the bank will take the money back out when they discover it. Until the check actually clears, that bank could take that money out at any time. Exercise great caution.

He can take it to the bank it was actually drawn from (the address printed on the check) and cash it there without an acccount. Assuming it's local enough, that is the route I'd go.

And a general FYI to anyone, you can always cash a check at the exact bank branch it was drawn from without having an account there. You run no risk of the check bouncing at that point, etc.

That's something I'd forgotten and never thought about. Good suggestion as it is indeed close enough for me to do that.

You live in Nigeria?

:D

Nice



Barkeep,

Send it to me, It's probably a forgery. I'll dispose of it for you.

Yeah that goes without saying really - but that isn't a reason not to pay the cheque into the account, just a note of caution over going crazy and buying that Xbox360 you really wanted just yet ;)

Keep in mind that these bad checks are also used to scam your checking account number. I don't remember the details, but there are ways of using the cancelled check to get your checking account number and then use that to clean you out. So I'd be REAL careful about cashing a check that I don't know the origins of.

Double the reason to try to cash it at the bank it was drawn from. You don't need anything but an ID to walk out of there with cash.

cthomer's suggestion of going to the originating bank, though, pretty much takes any scare out of this whole proposition there might be. The only people that will be seeing his personal info. are the bank employees... nothing of his will get transferred to the check, aside from his signature.

My one summer as bank teller taught me a lot about the ins and outs of banking. I even got beat with an amazingly good fake $100 bill at one point.

this is my thought as well.

EDIT: if it was me, I would probably turn it in to the authorities. you don't really know what this is all about. it would sure suck to end up getting charged with accepting stolen property or mail fraud or something just for 500 measley bucks.

I want to know what happens!

I'm not trying that stunt, though it is a favorite read of mine.

Well, for starters, you can call the bank the check is drawn on to determine if the check is legit.

From what my wife says (she works in a bank), theoretically, the check that was sent out could be pulled by the sender after being cashed so, whatever information that bank put on it (including your signature) could be obtained and they now have your information.

Unless you find some compelling reason to cash it, I wouldn't. There is no cashiers check fairy that goes around depositing checks in mailboxes so, this definitely stinks of something.

The check is legitimate according to a person I spoke with at the bank.

Any way to find out who sent it to you?

I don't know.... something just isn't right.

Best case, you cash it and have $500.

Worst case, you cash it and someone uses whatever information from the check to commit identity theft and you are creating threads with the subject line of 'How do I combat Identity theft' and we all call you a dumbass. :D

My only concern on top of the others is that in a legal sense, cashing a check like this can imply some kind of consideration. Essentially, if this guy comes to you later with some fake documentation claiming, or making some claim, that the two of you agreed to something (whatever that may be), the fact that you cashed a check from him makes his story quite believable no matter how many times you say, "I didn't agree to anything, I just got this check." (Doesn't that sound like a lame response?) If you're serious about going forward with this, I'd send a number of emails to friends and family that you could produce later to at least back up the fact that you don't know where this came from. I would also try to somehow document your diligence to contact this person and/or ascertain their identity and reasoning for sending this check.

I think that cashing it would be a very big mistake, at least until this person contacts you.

good point. Hell, guess it is possible to lift the signature from the cashiers check and create some fake contract. I agree to purchase X item for $500...

Even more of a reason to say - Pass.

It seems odd that they would use a 500 dollar check where a 10-20 dollar check could be used for the same purpose.

It's a cashiers check, this means the check is actually from the bank, not the person. Therefore the person who obtained the cashiers check will never receive the old check with your signature on it.

I understand it is a cashiers check. I believe the sender would still be able to get a copy of it especially if he came back to the back and told them he needed a copy to prove payment.

Ask the bank to send it for collection first. Then you aren't risking having a bounced/returned check charge/fee and you will have peace of mind if/when it comes back good.


edit to correct spelling

The check won't bounce. A cashier's check is already paid for by whoever wrote it and guaranteed by their bank.

if it's a fake it sure will.

if it's real. bank tellers get fooled by them all the time.

I spent 9 years in the banking industry I've seen some good fakes

Snopes take on a similar scam

Just becase a teller says it's real, doesn't mean it is.

Whether or not you can get the money right away doesn't change the fact that you could be cashing a counterfeit check.

What was the return address on the envelope the check came in? You can get a phone number from an address.

Maybe God sent it to you to buy some cocaine and hookers.

But even if someone did counterfeit it, why would they counterfeit it and send it to a stranger? There's got to be some reason he got it that doesn't involve fraud, I think... something that maybe Barkeep is just forgetting.

I thought the SAME thing...I searched to find the story...glad I skimmed the thread first before posting it. That is a LONG, but hilarious story.

This would be my worry too. You know they saying 'If something seems too good to be true, it usually is'?

This is not true if you take it to the bank it was drawn from. Cashier's checks are FROM the bank itself. They would have the records right there in that building to match the check to a carbon copy of that check.

And has been stated a number of times, he's already confirmed the realness of the check with the bank.

Again... if it's taken to the branch it was drawn from, they can verify it right there. They have some form of copies (in my branch it was a carbon copy) of all cashier's checks cut there.

I missed that the first time around. You're right. He would have no trouble getting the cash. However, like others have said, someone is trying to get something out of him by doing this (unless Barkeep just happened to forget a service he gave this guy or something). But if he was able to confirm the legitamicy of the check, he should also be able to find out who it was from. And if he can't do that, something is fishy.

Barkeep, did you actually bring the cashier's check to the bank for them to look over, or did you just call them on the phone and give them the numbers from the check? Maybe I'm asking a silly question, but for somebody to just send you $500... well, that's pretty silly in itself.

this is fascinating. i want to know the outcome to this. and i voted don't cash it...i get a weird feeling.

If you cash it at the branch, I don't see any risk. The scams in the Snopes article relate to cashing at your bank, and sending a sum of the money back to the scammer.

Since you can cash this right at the branch it was drawn upon, and walk away with $500 cash, with no obligation to whoever sent the check, I don't see the problem. Are you sure you didn't earn a cash-back rebate on something?

But a business would never send a cashiers check in the regular mail, right? That's like sending cash, isn't it?

But you're still putting your name on the check when you cash it.

I still want to know how he knows its legitimate. Did he call the bank and give them a check number? How do we know that some guy didn't buy one cashier's check for $500, and is sending hundreds of counterfeit checks around that have the same check number on it? I don't know how it makes sense, but I also don't know why someone would randomly send another person $500.

Ok update.

As to how I knew it was legitimate I called them up and read them the routing number and some other info. They confirmed that they had written a check to me for the amount stated.

So I tried to go to the bank today to see what would happen with the check in person. I open their front door and am met with a locked door and intercom looking into a bunch of people working at desks, not a bank lobby. I press the intercom and explain what I am trying to do and they tell me that unless I am a customer of the bank they will not help me. And they were rather rude about it. So this just adds to the whole affair.

So after checking the envelope for a return address I plan on writing to that address and seeing what happens. The bank was only a few minutes from my work so for $500 I haven't had to do very mcuh work and so it certainly seems worth some effort.

The whole thing is still very strange and this visit to the bank only made things stranger.

Umm ... is this a "normal" bank, or one you've never heard of or unusual in some way?

I mean, I know customer service ain't what it used to be but damn.

Huh.. that sounds pretty freakin' weird. I can't wait for the next chapter.

For once I agree with you jon, this seems rediculously odd.

post a scan of the check

I don't bank with Bank of America. One time I tried to cash a paycheck there (drawn from that bank)and they seriously treated you like a 3rd class citizen. You had your own special line, and I got jumped by 3-4 people that came in after me, just cause they were account holders. I understand that you should give some perks to your members, but my check is still legal tender and it's drawn off of their bank. That was the only time I ever went in there, I just started dropping the check into my ATM and getting whatever cash i needed from then on.

I'll try and do this Sunday when I have access to a scanner and some photoshopping utlities so I can blur out my name.

Steve: At least they let you in the door :)

Maybe you are part of an experiment regarding whether people that receive $500 checks are too paranoid to cash them.

If you can't cash it at the bank it was drawn upon, then forget it. That's a major red flag. If you're required to deposit it in your local account, then something stinks.

Have you considered contacting your local sheriff's department about it? This could be part of a wider scam, and I guarantee if you get the cops involved, you'll get more answers quick.

Unless the cops are in on it.... ;)

Maybe the check has a code that will lead you to the keystone.... (Sorry, just read that book for the first time last week while I was traveling on business)

It could also be some Class Action Lawsuit that you had no idea you were a part of.


Your other option is to take it to one of those Checking Cashing places. You will pay a huge fee, but you will not have to give them your Banking Info.

Why are you chaps so paranoid about this?

My approach would be simple - cash the cheque, if something fraudulent happens then get the back to refund anything taken (as it'd obviously be their fault) - if not wait a couple of weeks after the moneys gone in and then spend it ...

Actually, your experience at the bank is common for some of the smaller around here, if you are not a prospective customer or a current account holder, then you honestly won't be let into the bank....but most of the time they are employee credit unions for some businesses.

I still wouldn't be shocked about it......cash the check, leave the money in your account until the check clears, and then it is yours.....

What's the name of the bank?

1st Equity Bank. From the little I've found it, it seems like they are basically just a trust fund bank. They are indeed chartered in Illinois so I am thinking of calling the Illinois regulatory agency Monday to see if they have a responsiblity to cash the check, as I found a source online suggesting that they legally must do so.

Well no, I hadn't. But I also happen to know every single detective in the city where I live, many of them pretty well. This seems like a pretty good time to ask for a favor.

The class action part is entirely possible and an angle I hadn't thought of. I'm not going to take it to the Cash Checking place because I'm not trying to get away with anything. If this money is mine, I could really use it as it would pay for a couple months of my car payment which right now is a huge deal for me. If it's not mine, I don't want anything to do with it.

If it is a trust fund bank, which it does appear to be, it's also possible that this a payment from a trust account such as a bequeathment from an estate or similar payment. Is it possible a distant relative or acquaintance passed away and name you in their will?

Not that I know of. But that also begs the question why my brother would not have recieved a check of equal value.

'Cuz nobody likes him?

So what happened?

Yes. Update please.

Wow- just came across this thread today and can't believe what was here.

1) People actually think there's a magical check fairy who drops $500 on people?!? Maybe, just maybe, I'll buy the distant relative thing but who has distant relatives who are rich enough to send cash to all their distant relatives when they die and take the time to do it to every insignificant member of the family? As for lawsuit settlement- when was the last time lawyers gave you money when you didn't go through all the hoops to get it?

2) To stevew's "why a $500 check when only $20 would do the trick"- because, obviously, no one would take the risk if it was only for $20- the bait has to be big enough to get people to throw away common sense). That's why $500 is about the right amount. It gives people just enough pause to say "Hm.. is it worth a huge risk to my credit history for X number of dollars?" Too much more and you just assume it's a scam while too much less and not enough people think it's worth the risk.

3) Going into that bank should be a huge red flag, as stated. They sound shady, at best, criminal, at worst.

SI

Would love an update.

As an aside, at my office we have a company that filed for bankruptcy and listed us as a creditor. It was a large company and the process lengthy, so they are still selling assets and disbursing payments. Every six months or so we get a check from this company's bankruptcy account. Only thing is, we have no documentation that they owe us any money or have ever done business with us.

We've contacted the firm handling the bankruptcy, but they say their records list as a creditor and that's that. There is no one with the original company to check and see why they think they owe us money. The only possibility we can think of is that they owed money to an event we now run, but that doesn't explain why they list us as the creditor and not the old event organizer.

Oh, we'll take the money though. God bless America.

Umm it happends to me a lot of times. As i work with a lot of different online sponsors who have different company names than sponsor names, i get checks every month from companies i haven't ever heard about. Usually googling the check info i can get the sponsor name but even if i don't, i just cash it and i never had any kind of problem or bounced check. Of course this problem is related to my online business and could not be related on any way to your job. Imho you are being over paranoid, but i'm seing it from my point of view, if you haven't done any kind of job or have sold anything that could lead to that $500 sent to you, then that is another story.

Btw, is the amount exactly $500 or close to it? because it could make a difference.

I wonder if this isn't from one of those shady type of check cashing places where they offer you like a few hundred dollars in advance, and then you have to pay them back like 20% extra after 2 weeks, or thereabouts. Like those Check into Cash commercials.

Not a lot to update. Last couple weeks have been very busy. Plan on doing some work this week to see about it. One thing I have done is talk to the state regulatory agency and they are sending the bank a letter informing them of their obligation to cash their own cashier's checks. So I'm going to try and see what happens with that again later in the week.

People who send checks without documentation are morons. That is all.

I get checks all the time at work without anything attached. I love the ones where the names on the checks aren't anywhere close to the name on the account (eg: Bahlachkak Kraucsabvakok goes by Bob Smith). Sometimes I have to google the name on the check, get a phone number, and then do a search in our system for that phone number. What's even worse is the people who keep paying for the same invoice over and over.

I get $100,000 cashier checks all of the time with my and my wife's name on them. At first, I showed them to my wife to see her eyes bug out but after a while, it got old because we get a million of them a week. There are always conditions and in these cases, not only do they want our house, but our first born as well.

Are they cashier's checks? Without any other accompanying information?

No, of course not. They either have an attached letter or some fine print on the front or back of the check. I wasn't trying to make a comparison to your situation but just to an anecdote of getting fake money in the mail.

Gotcha.

and some companies send out checks, with terms that once you cash the check, you agree to whatever they are selling. but those checks are usually for $2.50

So last week a co-worker of mine got a check in the mail for $4500 from some sporting goods company in Pennsylvania. From what I can gather from her story, it was by itself in the envelope. I looked at the check myself and I'm under the impression that it's been photocopied and is a fake, but I told her she should Google the company and give them a call and to call the bank as well. Yesterday I asked her for an update and she said that the sporting goods company does exist and is indeed in Pennsylvania, but that she didn't cal them. The part that really indicates that it almost has to be some sort of scam is that she said the envelope it came in was sent from out of country...the stamp had a crown on it (I think) and the amount was for 47p (Pence?). She said that she was going to go by her bank today and ask them if they thought it was real and ask their advice on what to do. Of course, I'm about 99% sure they'll tell her it's a fake...

Well I have a happy, though unexciting, resolution to this story.

I finally figured out where the check had come from. I helped run a prep basketball league. I forgot that I got paid a lump sum for it as the league ended in March. I finally made the connection today when I found some gift cards from Best Buy that I had recieved two years ago for coaching the team. I called the cocommissioner to confirm that this is what the check was, and he confirmed it.

So the check was hardly "free", in that I spent a fair amount of time to earn it, though it's still money I wasn't expecting as I had never done the work for money in the first place and had completely forgotten about it by this point.

booooo

Agreed. No offense, but I was hoping that this would be the first FOFC thread where, six months from now, we would see an "Update: just got out on parole" post.

Did Tim Burton direct the end of this thread?

Damnit.

This thread turned into a turd.

This is the David Blaine special of FOFC threads.

double ditto

what a crappy ending :)

We're apparently so desperate for entertainment that we'll fall for a trickless thread.

Damn, Bobby didn't really die?!?!

What's up with that shady bank, then?

Aw, no fun... well, except for you. You get money back and it's legit :)

SI