Attorney General's News Release

September 20, 2004

Phony cashier's checks look real but are intended to scam victims of thousands of dollars, Nixon warns

Fake $5,000 check payable to Jay Nixon sent to Attorney General

Jefferson City, Mo. — Foreign con artists are trying to defraud Missourians by sending them authentic-looking cashier's checks and asking them to wire money from the cashed checks overseas. Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon himself received a fake check last week for $5,000 payable to him. Nixon says the victims who cash the checks often are on the hook for thousands of dollars after banks discover the checks are fraudulent.

"These con artists don't seem to be particular about who they try to scam," Nixon says.

Nixon says many of the scams of this type reported to his office appear to originate in Nigeria, including the phony check he received. While the check Nixon received was not prefaced by any previous contact, some of the perpetrators apparently have first met their victims in online chatrooms. After they gain the victims' confidence, they may ask the victims to cash a check for them in the United States and send a portion of the check overseas. The victims are told they can keep part of the check.

"The scam artists come up with all kinds of stories about where the extra money will go and, unfortunately, some people believe them," Nixon says. "Victims of this scam may lose thousands of dollars, and tracking down the overseas perpetrators is often very difficult."

The checks look very real, and use the logos of real banks in the United States, Nixon says.

"Several of these banks have reported millions of dollars in fake checks presented to them for payment," Nixon says. "By the time the fraud is discovered, in many cases the victims already have wired the money overseas."

An earlier variation of this scam reported to the Attorney General's Office in 2003 involved defrauding people who were selling items online. The purported buyer — often from Nigeria — would send a cashier's check for more than the agreed purchase price and ask that the difference be wired back to the buyer. Again, the check looked real but was fake.

Missourians who receive cashier's checks under these types of circumstances need to remember that banks will hold them accountable for the money if the check turns out to be a fraud.

If you receive a suspicious check or think you've been a victim of this scam, call the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-392-8222 or get a complaint form.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818