It's worth mentioning that many of these fake checks look so real that they easily fool bank tellers, Grant said. They can be drawn on a real company and appear to be issued by a major bank at which that company has an account. That can make it particularly difficult and time-consuming to figure out that the check is a forgery. Nonetheless, when the bank determines that the check isn't valid, it's legally allowed to deduct the money from your account.
That's something that consumers commonly misunderstand, Grant said. The Consumer Federation conducted a recent survey and found that 59 percent of consumers inaccurately believe that when you deposit a check or money order, your bank has determined the funds are good before it allows you to withdraw the money.
The younger and less educated and affluent you are, the more likely you are to be misled.
This misperception affects 70 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds and 71 percent of those earning less than $25,000 and those who didn't complete high school, according to the survey. More than half of all the youths and Latinos surveyed also believed that if the check was bad, the person who provided it would have to reimburse the bank -- not the depositor.
Not true. You, the depositor, are responsible for the money that goes in and out of your account. If you deposit a fake check but don't draw against it, the worst that can happen is that the money temporarily credited to your account will evaporate. But if you use that phony balance, you're responsible for any check or money order you've sent, even if you've been swindled.
Fake-check scams come in multiple varieties. A common thread is typically that the crooks have overpaid you, and want you to reimburse them or a confederate from your own funds or the "proceeds" from the check they've given you.
A particularly hot variety right now is the mystery-shopper scam, Grant said, possibly because so many people are out of work and looking for ways to make ends meet.
In this scam, someone will ask you to rate the service, cleanliness or efficiency of a retailer or financial institution by visiting the operation and buying some small item.
Con artists using the mystery-shopper scam say they're providing an upfront payment for the small purchases the shopper needs to make to do the job. The check that's provided, however, is for $1,000 to $5,000 -- far more than what's needed. The victim is told to wire the remainder to a third party to evaluate the speed and efficiency of the wire service.
In reality, mystery shoppers are paid after they've completed the job and turned in their evaluation forms, according to the Mystery Shopping Providers Association, a real organization whose name is sometimes used by the fraudsters.
And it's not a big moneymaking opportunity. Most jobs pay between $8 and $20, said Kelly Hancock, a spokeswoman for the mystery shopping association.
Some of the other common tales that purveyors of fake checks use:
-- You've won a sweepstakes or lottery. They're sending a check, but you need to reimburse a third party for taxes on the windfall.
-- You've been selected to receive a cash grant but need to pay a processing fee.
-- Or, like the Parkers, you've got a buyer -- or renter -- of some product you have for sale, but the buyer needs you to take a corporate check for the payment and reimburse them for the overage.
The crooks passing fake checks are tough to catch because they typically operate from Canada and overseas, making it difficult for U.S. law enforcement to pursue them, Grant said.
The best way to protect yourself is recognize the warning signs and stay clear. If you need more details, the Consumer Federation urges you to check out fakechecks.org.