My boyfriend’s brother is looking for a job. He planned to work with my boyfriend’s company, and he even sent in his resume. The manager just needed time to find a place for him.
But then, my boyfriend’s brother suddenly changed his mind. His best friend found a construction job that offered a $3500 signing bonus.
He met a guy from the company at A&W who gave him a cheque for $3500. The guy asked him to deposit it into his bank account right away and then e-transfer $500 to a business partner. After that, the guy kept the cheque and disappeared.
I’m pretty sure this is a scam because my boyfriend’s brother can’t even tell us what the company’s name is or give a clear description of the job. It’s kind of funny, but also concerning.
What really confuses me is that the guy said he could start on Monday. If that happens, could this company actually be real?
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esleystanley said:
If a stranger asks you to mix money with them, it’s definitely a scam.
It’s a fake cheque.
Hi /u/seedless0, AutoModerator has been called in to explain the fake cheque scam.
This scam can happen in many situations (fake jobs, fake payments, etc), but the end result is always the same. You get a cheque (could be digital or paper), deposit it (either through your phone or ATM), and see the money in your account. Then you are asked to send money back to the scammer (usually through gift cards or cryptocurrency). Sometimes, they’ll have you buy things from a site, but that’s just another trick to get your money.
Banks must make the money available quickly, but they can take time to check if the cheque is real. That’s where the scam takes advantage of you. While you think the money is yours, the scammer will ask you to send some back.
Yes, it’s a scam. The cheque will bounce, the $500 sent is gone, and his bank account might be closed. He will go to the job site, and nobody will know what he’s talking about.
You don’t get a signing bonus before your first day at work. What would stop someone from taking the bonus and disappearing?
Your boyfriend’s brother needs to tell his bank he got tricked into depositing a bad cheque and hope they help him out.
@CharlotteAmelia
I’ve done construction for 35 years and worked for different contractors. No one ever offered me a pre-bonus of any sort. Your point is exactly right. Yes, it’s a scam.
EDIT: I’ve also never heard of anyone getting a bonus before the contractor made money.
Your boyfriend’s brother will lose $500 soon when that $3500 cheque bounces. Tell him not to spend that money. It might show as available funds, but that cheque will definitely bounce in a week or so.
Yes, it’s a scam, and his bank account will be negative $500 soon. If he actually met someone, he should contact the police and file a report.
If he’s lying about the meeting and the interview was only over the phone, there’s nothing to do because the scammer is likely overseas. He really needs to find a job fast so he won’t have to pay fees when the cheque bounces.
There’s no way this is real. He needs to call his bank right away. If they find a fake cheque deposit and you don’t tell them first, they might close your account. You could end up on a list so other banks won’t open accounts for you for a while. It’s a huge problem.
Why would you pay back part of a signing bonus? Why pressure someone to deposit it immediately? This young man really needs some common sense.
He’s not going to get that money back because the cheque WILL be flagged as fake, and he’s out the money he sent too.
Hi /u/ditzen, AutoModerator has been called in to explain the fake cheque scam.
This scam can happen in many situations (fake jobs, fake payments, etc), but the end result is always the same. You get a cheque (could be digital or paper), deposit it (either through your phone or ATM), and see the money in your account. Then you are asked to send money back to the scammer (usually through gift cards or cryptocurrency). Sometimes, they’ll have you buy things from a site, but that’s just another trick to get your money.
Banks must make the money available quickly, but they can take time to check if the cheque is real. That’s where the scam takes advantage of you. While you think the money is yours, the scammer will ask you to send some back.
Sounds good.