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TRAVELERS CHEQUE AND GIFT CHEQUE FRAUD
 What is Cheque Fraud?
Scams using fake checks are a fast-growing type of fraud that can cost victims thousands of dollars. There are many types of fake check scams, but it all starts when someone gives you a realistic-looking check or money order and asks you to send cash somewhere in return.
At the heart of the scam is a fake check that you deposit in your bank account. Federal law requires banks and credit unions to make funds to deposit available quickly. Just because you can withdraw the money doesn't indicate the check or money is valid.
It can take weeks for fake checks to be discovered, and when they are, your bank will want the money back. You're responsible for the checks and money orders you deposit or cash, because you were in the best position to determine the validity of the check or money order - you dealt with the person who gave it to you.
Although the vast majority of Travelers Cheques and Gift Cheques you will encounter are authentic, there are attempts to use counterfeit Cheques in scams, particularly those perpetrated online. If you have any question regarding the validity of Cheques you have received, call American Express at 1-800-525-7641.
| Remember: there is no legitimate reason why anyone would give you a check or money order and ask you to wire money anywhere in return. |
fakechecks.org
American Express is proud to be a founding member of the Alliance for Consumer Fraud Awareness and a sponsor of National Consumers League's fakechecks.org, which educates Americans on the threat counterfeit check scams pose to their personal financial health.
Purchasing and Using American Express Cheques
Travelers Cheques or Gift Cheques purchased at one of more than 80,000 authorized U.S. sellers will always be authentic.
Travelers Cheques and Gift Cheques are safer than cash because they are reimbursable if lost or stolen. They are also easy to use: simply sign the Cheques in the upper left-hand corner as soon as possible after purchase. When you're ready to use them, countersign them in the lower left-hand corner while a cashier or bank teller watches.
| If you are asked to cash or accept a Cheque for payment but did not watch the Cheque holder countersign, or if you are asked to accept a Cheque with no signatures, you could be a target of a scam. |
Accepting American Express Cheques
For merchants accepting Cheques as payment, and for banks exchanging Cheques for cash, American Express provides a number of security controls to help identify counterfeit Cheques. If you suspect you may have received a fake Cheque, call American Express at 1-800-525-7641.
For information about authorization tools that American Express makes available to merchants and banks, contact American Express via email at tconlineauthorizations@aexp.com.
Common types of fake check scams
While there are some common fake check scams, new variations constantly pop up, so it's important to learn the warning signs:
- Foreign Business Offers: They pretend to be businesspeople and government officials. Real companies and government agencies don't contact strangers in other countries with business propositions.
- Love Losses: They want to come to the United States to be with you. They have a check or money order in U.S. dollars that they say they can't cash. But there's no real reason why they couldn't use the financial services in their own country to cash it.
- Overpayments: They give you a check or money order for more than the purchase price and ask you to send the extra to someone else. But there's no reason why they can't send that person the money directly.
- Rental Schemes: They claim to be moving from outside the area or another country. They send a check or money order for rent, plus extra, and ask you to forward the excess to someone else. But they could have easily done this themselves.
- Sudden Riches: The notice comes by regular mail, phone, fax or email: you've won a cash prize or inherited money. They send you a check or money order as an "advance" and ask you to send money to get the rest. That's not how legitimate contests or law firms works.
- Work-at-Home: They hire you on the basis of an email or phone call, without any personal interview or background checks. They ask you to process payments by depositing checks or money orders in your bank accounts. That's not how legitimate companies operate.
When to contact American Express
Con artists use the anonymity of the Internet and email to scam unsuspecting people. American Express can validate the authenticity of a Cheque quickly and anonymously.
You should contact American Express at 1-800-525-7641 if any of the following circumstances apply:
- You are asked to accept Travelers Cheques or Gift Cheques but did not watch the Cheque holder countersign in the lower left-hand corner, or you are asked to accept a Cheque with no signatures.
- You are asked to cash or accept Cheques in denominations of $500 or $1000. The maximum denomination of an authentic Gift Cheque is $100, so any Gift Cheque with a denomination of more than $100 is a fake.
- The Cheques are offered by someone you met online or from someone you know mostly through email communications.
- You receive the Cheques by mail or express mail.
- You are asked to wire, send or ship funds from cashed Cheques, especially if the return address is a large U.S. city or another country.
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