New Scam Involves Fake Checks From Manatee County Commission: Clerk

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — The Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller’s Office is warning residents of a new fraudulent check scam.

The scammers promise their victims a job at a charity. Then, they send their victims a check that seems as though it was issued by the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners, according to a news release from the clerk’s office.

The check appears real and looks like it was signed by the board chair and Angelina Colenneso, the county clerk and comptroller.

By email, the scammer then asks the victim to deposit the check into their bank account and send a picture of the deposit as verification. Once verified, the scammer will email additional instructions on how the victim can send a portion of the money deposited to the charity, the clerk said.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation offers the following tips on spotting a fake check:

• Check to see if a legitimate bank issued the check.
• Call the bank that supposedly issued the check to ensure that it’s real. Make sure you use a phone number from the bank’s website and not a phone number printed on the check.
• Evaluate who sent you the check. Were you expecting the payment? Do you know who sent it? Did they use poor grammar or spelling errors in their communications with you?
• Review the check for watermarks and other security features.

Fake checks can be reported to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office at 941-747-3011 ext. 2260.

Sign up to receive scam alerts from the clerk’s office here.