Moon Residents Falling For Fake Check Scams, Police Warn

MOON TOWNSHIP, PA - Several Moon residents have fallen victims to fake check scams in the past week, according to township police.

According to the department’s Facebook page, in one instance the victim responded to an online job posting and was promised a job as a “secret shopper.” The victim received a check for more than $3,000 and was instructed to deposit it into their checking account and purchase Apple iTunes cards. Once the cards were provided to the scammers, the money was gone.

.Under federal law, banks have to make the funds you deposit available quickly–usually within one to five days, depending on the type of check. But just because the money can be withdrawn doesn’t mean the check is good - even if it’s a cashier’s check. It can take weeks for the forgery to be discovered and the check to bounce.

The person depositing the check is responsible for it, because banks consider the depositor to be in the best position to determine its authenticity. When a check bounces, the bank deducts the amount that was originally credited to the depositor’s account.

While police continue to investigate these incidents, they warn that the crooks often reside out of the country, making it difficult if not impossible to identify and prosecute them.

Image via Shutterstock.

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