FAKE CHECK SCHEMES

American consumers are being defrauded by overseas scam artists. The latest complaints relate to counterfeit checks including cashier’s checks, checks that look like they’re drawn on business accounts, money orders, traveler’s checks and gift cheques.

A common theme exists in all of the scams: Just because a deposited check shows up as “funds available” in your account register, it doesn’t mean the check is good or has cleared. Federal law gives consumers the right to have quick access to the funds from deposited checks (usually within 1 to 5 days). However, it can take weeks for counterfeits to be discovered. The consumer is then responsible for ALL fees associated with the fake check. Also, no one who wants to GIVE you money should ask you TO SEND THEM money. For more information, visit fakechecks.org.

Soem fun videos showing how it works can be seen here: http://www.fakechecks.org/videos.html

SOUTH WINDSOR, Connecticut police today warned of a fraudulent checks scam in which residents have been receiving bogus checks from FedEx or U.P.S. The checks are made out to the resident, and a form letter instructs the recipient to contact the sender via e-mail for further instructions.

The scam works by having the unsuspecting recipient deposit the check in their checking account, and then transfer some or all of the money to the sender, police said. Banks later learn that the checks are fake. The victim loses the money they have transferred to the sender because the money that is wired can not be retrieved, police said.

Just another twist in the advance fee scam, using the postal mail, before reverting to email removes one level of obvious inauthenticity.

A Branford, New Haven, Conn. man is facing a long prison term after pleading guilty to bilking illegal immigrants out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Fifty-six-year-old Ralph Cucciniello has been accused of taking $560,000 from about 60 immigrants in Greater New Haven, as well as the Boston and New York area.

The judge Thursday told Cucciniello if he comes up with $300,000 to pay back his victims he might consider a shorter prison sentence.

Prosecutors say Cucciniello claimed to be a lawyer at a legal clinic at the Yale Law School and charged immigrants $5,000 each to file papers that he said would lead to a Green Card and permanent residence status in the U.S.

Canadian Telecom company, SaskTel is warning customers to be on the look-out for a telephone scam that could lead to unwanted long distance charges. In this scam, a person calls a customer claiming there has been an accident or some other incident. The caller then requests that the customer dial *72 followed by a long-distance telephone number. Since *72 is used to activate SaskTel’s call forwarding service, the customer unwittingly forwards their phone line to a long distance number and is then responsible for all resulting long distance charges.