Check Fraud Dupes Ashburn Man: Police

ASHBURN, VA — This a scam that's been making the rounds these days, and it happened to a man this week in the 43900 block of Rochelle Court, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. He was trying to sell a vehicle online, a potential buyer contacted him and sent him a check.

But here's the red flag: namely, the check was for a larger amount than the would-be seller had requested. The would-be buyer said the excess amount was a mistake, and asked the victim to wire the difference in money to a third party. Turns out, of course, that the check was phony.

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The Federal Trade Commission has a list of tips to avoid such scams. The government office also points out that check scams come in many variations:

Counterfeit or fake checks are being used in a growing number of fraudulent schemes, including foreign lottery scams, check overpayment scams, Internet auction scams, and secret shopper scams.

Check overpayment scams target consumers selling cars or other valuable items through classified ads or online auction sites. Unsuspecting sellers get stuck when scammers pass off bogus cashier’s checks, corporate checks, or personal checks. Here’s how it happens:

A scam artist replies to a classified ad or auction posting, offers to pay for the item with a check, and then comes up with a reason for writing the check for more than the purchase price. The scammer asks the seller to wire back the difference after depositing the check. The seller does it, and later, when the scammer’s check bounces, the seller is left liable for the entire amount.

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