A random person from a Valorant Discord server offered my friend $500 a week just to talk with him and respond to messages. The person said there’s nothing romantic, and they’re both guys (though he might be into guys, not sure). My friend even got his first payment via check, and it cleared without any issues. Is this legit or could my friend be getting scammed by some lonely rich dude?
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This sounds like a classic !fakecheck and sugar scam. Nobody gives free money online. Your friend just deposited a fake check. He needs to call his bank ASAP before it’s too late.
Bob said:
This sounds like a classic !fakecheck and sugar scam. Nobody gives free money online. Your friend just deposited a fake check. He needs to call his bank ASAP before it’s too late.
Here’s how the fake check scam works: You get a check, deposit it, see the money in your account, and think everything is fine. But the check will bounce after a while, and the bank will reverse the deposit. Meanwhile, the scammer will have asked you to send money to them, thinking you already got the funds. When the bank takes the money back, you’re left with a negative balance and could even face bank fees.
Your friend should notify the bank right away. Fake checks can take weeks or even months to bounce, but when they do, the damage is done. Here’s more info from the FTC: How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Fake Check Scams | Consumer Advice. And another article from the NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/21/your-money/fake-check-scam.html.
Bob said:
This sounds like a classic !fakecheck and sugar scam. Nobody gives free money online. Your friend just deposited a fake check. He needs to call his bank ASAP before it’s too late.
This also fits the sugar daddy/momma scam pattern, where scammers either send you a fake check and ask you to buy gift cards or other items, or ask you to pay them upfront to ‘prove loyalty.’ They may also send you fake emails from payment services like PayPal or CashApp claiming that you’ve received money but need to pay a fee first.
If your friend thinks this is legit, remind them that sugar babies engage in actual, in-person arrangements, not random payments online. If they’re interested in that world, they should check out safer forums for advice.
This is a sugar scam for sure.
Your friend may have seen the money from the check in their account, but that doesn’t mean it’s legit. It’ll get reversed soon.
Let’s all say it together: NO STRANGER ON THE INTERNET WANTS TO PAY YOUR BILLS. It’s a fake check scam. Your friend needs to call their bank right away before things get worse.
The check might have shown up in your friend’s account, but that doesn’t mean it’s cleared. The bank could take days or even weeks to figure out it’s fake, and when they do, they’ll reverse the deposit. Worse, the bank might even close your friend’s account for depositing fraudulent checks. They need to call the bank’s fraud department right away and explain the situation to avoid bigger trouble.
I think we all agree…this is a fake check scam. Your friend needs to act fast.